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THIS  TITLE  HAS  BEEN  MICROFILMED 


J.  A.  WFIITTED. 


A  HISTORY 


OF  THE 


Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina 


BY 

REV.  J.  A.  WHITTED,  D.D. 


RALEIGH  : 

Pbesses  of  Edwaeds  &  BRorGHTox  Printing  Co. 

1908 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2012  with  funding  from 

University  of  North  Carolina  at  Chapel  Hill 


http://archive.org/details/historyofnegrobaOOwhit 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 
The  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina  Before  the  War,      7 

CHAPTER  II. 
The  Work  of  the  Northern   Societies  for  the  Colored 
Baptists  of  North  Carolina 18 

CHAPTER  III. 

The  Baptist  Educational  and  Missionary  Convention  of 
North  Carolina   34 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Foreign   Missions — The   Hayes    and   Fleming   Foreign 
Mission  Society   53 

CHAPTER  V. 
The  Plan  of  Cooperation  in  North  Carolina 64 

CHAPTER  VI. 
Associations  75 

CHAPTER  VII. 

The    Women's    Baptist   Home    Mission    Convention    of 
North  Carolina  112 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

The  Baptist  State  Sunday  School  Convention  of  North 
Carolina  121 

CHAPTER  IX. 
Shaw  University    146 

CHAPTER  X. 

Secondary  Baptist  Schools  Established  and  Maintained 
by  the  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina 166 

CHAPTER  XI. 
Baptist  Papers  189 

CHAPTER  XII. 
Biography  199 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

J.  A.  Whitted,  D.D Frontispiece 

Rev.  Harry  Cowan 16 

Rev.  Thomas  Parker  16 

Rev.  R.  H.  Harper 17 

S.  N.  Vass,  D.D 18 

Rev.  C.  S.  Brown,  D.D 32 

G.  W.  Bullock,  D.D 32 

Rev.  S.  H.  Witherspoon,  D.D 33 

Rev.  A.  Shepard,  D.D 33 

Rev.  G.  W.  Holland 64 

First  Baptist  Church,  Winston-Salem 64 

N.  F.  Roberts,  D.D 122 

Rev.  G.  W.  Moore 122 

Hon.  J.  T.  Reynolds 123 

Rev.  A.  B.  Vincent 123 

A.  W.  Pegues,  Ph.D.,  D.D 128 

Rev.  G.  W.  Johnson,  D.D 132 

Prof.  R.  W.  Brown 132 

Col.  James  H.  Young 133 

Prof.  John  Walter  Paisley 133 

Rev.  H.  M.  Tupper,  D.D 144 

Charles  Francis  Meserve,  LL.D 144 

Shaw  Hall,  Shaw  University 150 

Rev.  C.  H.  Williamson,  AM 196 


PREFACE 

The  writer  of  this  little  book  has  fulfilled  a  long 
cherished  desire,  not  in  its  best  sense  to  say  a  history, 
but  to  lay  some  kind  of  foundation,  so  that  the  his- 
torian of  the  future  may  have  something  to  build 
upon  and  may  some  day  give  to  the  world  the  facts 
concerning  the  service,  sacrifice  and  achievements  of 
the  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina.  While  the 
difficulty  in  obtaining  information  at  times  has  caused 
discouragement  and  delay,  the  writer  has  never  en- 
gaged in  any  task  which  has  brought  to  him  so  much 
satisfaction  and  pleasure,  and  he  will  feel  amply  re- 
paid if  the  readers  find  half  so  much  pleasure  and 
profit  in  the  reading.  The  writer,  too,  expresses  the 
hope  when  some  other  shall  undertake  to  build  on  this 
foundation  it  will  not  be  so  difficult  to  obtain  the 
necessary  information.  To  all  who  have  responded 
and  have  furnished  data  for  this  book  the  writer 
wishes  to  express  his  grateful  acknowledgment. 


TO  THE  NEGRO  BAPTIST  MINISTRY  AND  CHURCHES 

OF  NORTH  CAROLINA  THIS  LITTLE  VOLUME 

IS  AFFECTIONATELY  DEDICATED 

BY  THE  AUTHOR 


A  HISTORY 

OF  THE 

Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE  NEGRO  BAPTISTS  OF  NORTH  CARO- 
LINA BEFORE  THE  WAR. 

Since  communication  among  the  Negroes  before 
the  war  was  altogether  verbal,  confined  to  narrow  lim- 
itations, and  since  no  record  was  kept  of  his  doings 
as  a  churchman,  it  is  impossible  to  get  anything  like 
an  accurate  statement  of  his  history  previous  to  the 
emancipation.  Since  we  know  that  there  were  in  this 
country  at  the  close  of  the  war  four  hundred  thousand 
Negro  Baptists,  and  since  the  Negro  Baptists  of 
North  Carolina  formed  a  part  of  that  number  we 
know  they  had  an  existence  of  some  kind.  Consider- 
ing conditions  as  they  were  at  that  time,  and  taking 
the  statements  as  we  gather  them  here  and  there,  it 
is  safe  to  say  throughout  the  entire  South  they  existed 
only  in  connection  with  the  white  churches.  In  the 
history  of  the  North  Carolina  Baptist  State  Conven- 
tion, by  Rev.  Livingston  Johnson,  we  get  the  follow- 
ing in  1837 :  "The  committee  on  religious  instruc- 
tion of  slaves  urged  that  places  be  provided  for  them 
in  the  houses  of  worship,  and  that  their  religious  in- 
struction receive  special  attention." 


8  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

Relating  to  another  statement  in  the  Convention  of 
1850  is  the  following:  "The  churches  of  the  State 
are  urged  to  establish  schools  for  the  oral  instruction 
of  the  colored  people."  In  some  instances  the  colored 
people  were  allowed  to  hold  services  conducted  by 
some  member  of  their  own  race  in  some  sections  and 
at  specified  times,  but  such  meetings  were  usually 
held  under  the  supervision  of  a  white  man,  and  at  his 
discretion  these  meetings  were  brought  to  a  close.  In 
very  many  instances  such  meetings  were  even  con- 
ducted by  a  member  of  the  white  race.  In  matters  of 
discipline,  especially  if  a  white  member  was  involved, 
the  colored  people  had  no  voice  whatever.  In  matters 
affecting  their  own  number  often  some  colored  brother 
in  whom  the  church  had  confidence  would  make  re- 
ports and  recommendations.  In  compliance  with  the 
resolution  of  1837,  which  we  have  already  mentioned, 
in  some  instances  provision  was  made  in  the  erection 
of  the  church  edifice  by  petition,  and  in  the  galleries 
for  the  accommodation  of  the  colored  brethren.  In 
the  communion  services,  after  the  bread  and  wine  had 
been  passed  to  the  white  brethren,  it  was  passed  in 
turn  to  the  colored  brethren.  This  was  regarded  by 
them  as  a  God-sent  privilege  and  a  blessing,  for  which 
their  "Aniens"  were  often  loud  and  lasting. 

In  that  early  day  even  among  the  white  members 
it  was  not  an  unusual  thing  for  a  white  brother  or 
sister  to  give  vent  to  their  feelings  in  a  hallelujah,  and 
to  them  it  did  not  seem  strange  to  see  tears  of  joy  and 
thanksgiving  flowing  down  the  cheeks  of  the  colored 


Before  the  War.  9 

brother.  In  the  appointment  of  missionaries  among 
the  white  brethren  they  were  instructed  to  devote  a 
portion  of  their  time  to  the  religious  uplift  and  in- 
struction of  the  colored  brother,  and  this  they  often 
did  very  much  to  their  satisfaction.  The  extent  of 
the  work  of  the  missionary  and  the  relations  of  the 
races  as  master  and  slave,  was  the  question  which 
brought  about  the  separation  of  the  Northern  and 
Southern  Baptists  in  1845.  Among  the  Southern  mis- 
sionaries and  ministers  in  North  Carolina  as  else- 
where throughout  the  South  there  were  many  zealous 
Christians,  who  devoted  much  of  their  time  to  the  con- 
dition of  the  colored  people  so  much  affected  and  im- 
proved during  the  days  of  slavery.  It  is  hard  for  the 
biased  mind  and  the  prejudiced  Negro  to  see  God  in 
conditions  such  as  surrounded  the  race  before  the  war 
religiously  or  otherwise,  and  yet  we  verily  believe  God 
was  in  it,  and  much  of  the  discipline  and  training 
which  he  received  in  that  early  day  was  greatly  help- 
ful in  the  changes  which  came  to  him  in  the  days  of 
his  freedom  and  the  entire  responsibility  of  work  and 
of  worship.  It  was  certainly  no  disadvantage  for  one 
emerged  from  heathenism  to  be  brought  in  touch  with 
intelligence  in  church  worship.  It  took  Israel  to  suffer 
many  cruelties  to  be  brought  right  close  to  God,  and 
even  then,  despite  God's  wonderful  and  miraculous  de- 
liverance, His  people  were  often  found  going  in  iha 
wrong  direction. 

In  many  localities  of  North  Carolina  special  revival 
services  were  held  for  the  colored  people;  often  great 


y 


10  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

numbers  professed  faith  in  Christ.  The  Pleasant 
Plains  Church,  of  Hertford  County,  and  many  others 
had  their  beginning  as  a  result  of  such  meetings.  In 
the  instance  of  the  church  just  mentioned  it  was 
agreed  between  a  white  Baptist  and  Methodist  min- 
ister that  they  would  unite  and  carry  on  a  revival 
meeting.  Large  numbers  professed  faith  in  Christ, 
and  then  arose  the  question  to  which  church  they 
would  unite.  It  was  finally  agreed  that  the  Methodist 
should  stand  on  the  one  side  and  the  Baptist  minister 
should  stand  on  the  other,  and  leave  it  to  the  option  of 
the  candidate  on  which  side  he  should  pass.  As  might 
have  been  expected  at  that  day  almost  every  one 
passed  over  on  the  side  of  the  Baptist  preacher,  and 
the  Pleasant  Plains  Church  was  immediately  set 
apart.  The  same  minister  served  them  several  years. 
It  was  not  until  Kev.  C.  S.  Brown  took  charge  of  the 
school  at  Winton  a  colored  man  was  called  to  serve 
this  church.  While  the  law  expressly  forbade  the  use 
of  a  book  for  the  colored  man,  many  kind  and  Chris- 
tian masters  and  mistresses  would  gather  the  colored 
people  on  Sunday  afternoons  and  teach  them  the  word 
of  God.  In  this  way  a  great  number  were  brought  to 
a  saving  knowledge  of  the  Christ  and  followed  Him, 
not  only  in  conversion  and  regeneration,  but  in  bap- 
tism as  well.  There  were  but  few  Baptist  preachers 
before  the  war.  The  first  we  have  any  knowledge  of 
was  "Uncle  Harry  Cowan,"  as  he  was  known  at  that 
time.  He  was  the  servant  of  Thomas  L.  Cowan.  His 
master  being  present  at  a  funeral  was  so  struck  with 


Before  the  War.  11 

his  gift  to  preach  God's  word  granted  him  "privilege 
papers"  to  preach  anywhere  on  his  four  plantations. 
His  papers  were  fixed  up  by  a  lawyer  and  read  thus : 
"This  is  to  certify  that  whosover  is  interested  about 
my  man  Harry  he  has  the  privilege  to  preach  and 
marry  also;  to  baptize  any  one  who  makes  a  profes- 
sion of  faith."  His  success  was  so  wonderful  and  so 
much  of  the  confidence  of  his  master  wTas  imposed  in 
him  his  privileges  were  soon  extended,  and  he  was  not 
only  allowed  to  preach  on  his  master's  "plantations" 
but  wherever  he  was  promised  "protection."  God 
greatly  strengthened  his  ministry  and  thousands  of 
his  own  race  and  many  of  the  white  race  heard  this 
man  of  God  in  his  simplicity  proclaim  the  glad  tidings 
of  salvation  as  contained  in  the  word  of  God.  He 
preached  the  gospel  not  only  until  peace  was  declared, 
but  was  a  leader  among  the  pioneers  for  many  years 
after  the  great  Civil  War.  During  the  struggle  in 
arms  between  the  I^orth  and  the  South  he  was  the 
body-servant  of  Gen.  Joseph  Johnston.  He  preached 
every  night  during  the  struggle  except  the  night  when 
General  Stonewall  Jackson  fell  in  battle.  Men  like 
"Uncle  Harry"  were  quite  rare  before  the  war,  and 
even  since  few  have  proven  such  powers  for  the  sal- 
vation of  fallen  humanity.  Seventy  years  of  his  life 
were  given  to  the  gospel  ministry.  During  that  time 
he  baptized  eight  thousand  persons.  There  were 
others  as  preachers  and  deacons,  men  of  decided  abil- 
ity and  firm  character.  Though  possessed  of  rare 
gifts  few  were  granted  the    privileges    granted    to 


v^ 


12  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina, 

"Uncle  Harry."  With  such  men  it  is  not  surprising 
that  North  Carolina  even  before  the  war  was  so 
strongly  Baptist.  In  Raleigh  we  find  such  men  as 
"Uncle  Harry,"  but  they  were  only  laymen.  Among 
these  we  find  Todd  Palmer,  Sandy  Pinkin,  Henry 
Jett,  Richard  Shepard  and  Jim  Adkins.  In  many 
other  sections  of  the  State  such  men  existed  full  of 
faith,  of  kindness  and  exhortation.  The  life  and 
deeds,  the  midnight  prayers  of  such  men,  did  more 
to  bring  the  freedom  which  afterward  followed  than 
all  other  means  combined. 

We  have  already  said  that  questions  of  discipline 
were  almost  exclusively  left  to  the  white  people,  but 
in  some  instances  fairness  was  shown  to  the  colored 
brother,  and  his  side  received  the  proper  considera- 
tion. We  record  a  single  instance  of  this  kind.  A 
conflict  ensued  between  a  white  brother  and  a  colored 
sister.  When  the  white  brother  was  heard  a  motion 
at  once  was  made  to  exclude  the  colored  sister  without 
hearing  her  side,  but  others  insisted  and  it  afterward 
prevailed  to  hear  her  side ;  and  when  they  had  heard 
her  side  she  was  justified  and  allowed  to  retain  her 
membership. 

Notwithstanding  there  were  many  obstacles  which 
stood  in  the  way  of  the  religious  growth  and  develop- 
ment of  the  colored  people  before  the  war,  there  were 
many  devoted  Christians  among  them. 

At  Louisburg  there  was  a  splendid  illustration  of 
this  fact,  together  with  many  others  which  might  be 
named.     Lewis  Perry,  who  was  known  in  that  day 


Before  the  War.  13 

by  white  and  black  as  "Dr.  Lewis  Perry,"  was  the 
body  servant  of  Dr.  Wilie  Perry.  He  was  granted 
papers  to  hold  prayer  meetings  in  Louisburg.  He  was 
further  granted  papers  to  exhort.  His  white  friends 
said  by  all  means  he  should  have  been  granted  "a 
horse  and  saddle  and  bridle."  His  name  will  always 
live  in  and  about  Louisburg,  for  his  services  were  not 
only  greatly  helpful  to  his  colored  brethren  but  many 
white  people  heard  him  gladly,  and  were  greatly  bene- 
fited by  his  spiritual  earnestness  and  instruction.  In 
connection  with  the  white  church  in  which  he  held 
membership  he  was  called  upon  almost  invariably  at 
the  concluding  of  the  sermon  to  lead  in  prayer,  and  as 
often  as  he  did  the  entire  congregation  felt  greatly 
lifted  up  through  his  prayers. 

Whenever  any  colored  person  applied  to  this  church 
for  membership  they  had  first  to  secure  the  permis- 
sion of  "Dr.  Perry." 

Many  revivals  were  held  in  the  basements  of  the 
Methodist  and  Baptist  churches  of  Louisburg  by  "Dr. 
Perry,"  and  many  souls  professed  faith  in  Christ 
through  these  revival  efforts,  and  were  added  to  the 
church. 

An  opportunity  to  worship  God  was  hailed  with  ex 
treme  delight,  as  was  manifest  in  the  sacrifices  which 
they  were  often  called  upon  to  make  for  the  worship 
of  God.  Some  would  give  liberal  contributions  out 
of  their  meagre  earnings  in  support  of  the  gospel, 
and  while  many  since  the  war  would  not  make  the 
sacrifice  to  walk  a  few  hundred  yards  to  hear  the  gos- 


14  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

pel,  there  are  very  many  instances  in  which  the  ante- 
bellum Christians  were  known  to  walk  fifteen  and 
twenty  miles  to  attend  a  midnight  prayer  meeting, 
and  rejoiced  for  the  privilege  as  a  special  benediction 
from  above.  In  many  instances  these  prayer  meet- 
ings were  clandestine  and  many,  after  taking  such 
long  walks,  were  hunted  down  and  chased  away  as 
disturbers  of  the  peace. 

Strange  to  say,  while  the  Negroes  were  allowed  to 
dance  all  night  long  and  were  not  disturbed,  as  soon 
as  they  began  the  worship  of  God  often  it  was  claimed 
they  were  disturbers. 

While  much  of  the  religion  of  former  years  was 
sentimental  much  was  sincere  and  practical.  Even 
in  that  day  of  darkness  such  men  and  women  im- 
pressed themselves  not  only  upon  members  of  their 
own  race,  but  upon  those  who  had  the  rule  over  them. 
Often  these  old  antebellum  Christians  exerted  such 
an  influence  when  prayer  was  necessary  they  were 
called  upon  to  lead  in  prayer.  Instances  can  be  re- 
called of  some  who  were  called  to  the  bedside  of  their 
dying  masters  to  offer  the  last  sad  rites.  Some  of 
the  preachers  who  came  in  contact  with  such  devoted 
men  and  women  became  devoted  to  them,  and  despite 
the  changes  which  followed  the  war  this  devotion 
lasted  through  life.  We  have  already  mentioned  the 
strength  and  devotion  of  some  of  the  Raleigh  mem- 
bers. Such  a  Christian  spirit  grew  up  between  them 
and  their  white  brethren  when  the  time  came  for  a 
separation  they  refused  to  go  out  from  their  white 


_  x 


=    - 


Before  tlie  War.  15 

brethren,  and  remained  with  them  for  several  years 
afterward.  The  property  now  owned  by  the  colored 
First  Baptist  Church  was  offered  to  them  soon  after 
the  war,  but  they  refused  to  leave  their  white  brethren 
and  it  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Eoman  Catholics.  In 
the  special  Providence  of  God  after  many  years  of 
worship  near  the  Seaboard  workshops,  the  Roman 
Catholics  sold  out  to  the  colored  Baptists  and  they  at 
much  sacrifice  erected  the  beautiful  church  on  the 
corner  of  the  street  southeast  of  the  Capitol  Square. 
The  instance  mentioned  of  the  affection  between  the 
colored  and  white  brethren  growing  out  of  these 
church  afililiations  is  but  one  of  many.  So  strong 
was  the  relation  in  the  case  of  individuals  that  many 
retained  their  membership  among  their  white  breth- 
ren until  their  death. 

The  dawn  of  freedom  brought  many  changes  in  the 
church  relations  as  well  as  otherwise.  The  prayer 
which  these  fathers  prayed  was  "Grant  the  day  Lord 
when  we  may  worship  God  under  our  own  vine  and 
fig  tree,"  and  this  prayer  meant  to  them  a  separation 
from  the  white  churches.  Rude  houses  of  worship 
were  erected  in  every  section,  and  where  they  were 
unable  to  erect  houses  brush  arbors  were  thrown  to- 
gether, and  in  many  instances  they  were  content  to 
worship  under  the  trees.  This  new  privilege  was 
hailed  with  extreme  delight  everywhere,  and  in  North 
Carolina  as  elsewhere.  The  fervor  and  devotion  of 
the  old  slave  father  was  unabating,  and  for  years 
afterward  it  looked  as  if  the  promise  of  undying  ser- 


16  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

vice  would  find  in  them  a  fulfillment.  Licenses  and 
ordinations  became  general,  and  soon  there  were 
many  although  unlettered  who  went  forth  in  their 
rude  way  telling  the  joyful  tidings  of  salvation.  One 
of  the  saddest  changes  in  the  history  of  the  denomi- 
nation was  to  see  with  the  growth  of  education  and 
other  improvements  new  demands  for  a  more  intelli- 
gent ministry,  and  to  see  these  old  landmarks  falling 
out  one  by  one,  and  men  of  better  training  taking 
their  places.  Only  a  few  of  these  old  ministers  sur- 
vived in  the  midst  of  these  changes.  Most  of  them 
outlived  their  generation.  In  nearly  every  instance 
when  these  changes  became  necessary  the  old  leader 
would  yield  with  extreme  reluctance.  It  should  be 
said  that  no  men  in  any  age  have  done  more  for  their 
opportunity  than  these  old  ministers  coming  to  the 
church  emerging  from  slavery. 

Some  of  them  lived  to  see  the  brush  arbor  re- 
moved, and  the  log  church  erected  instead,  and  even 
the  log  churches  taken  away  and  frame  and  brick 
churches  erected.  The  history  of  Kev.  G.  W.  Hol- 
land, of  Winston- Salem,  gives  an  instance  of  this 
kind.  Not  only  did  he  remove  from  the  brush  arbor 
to  the  frame  church,  but  from  the  frame  church  to  the 
beautiful  brick  building  in  Winston,  a  monument  to 
his  energy  and  faithfulness.  He  lived  not  only  in  the 
memory  of  the  old  people  like  himself,  but  retained 
up  until  his  death  a  place  of  highest  esteem  among 
the  young  people  of  his  church  and  community. 


Before  the  War.  17 

Having  set  apart  twenty-eight  Baptist  churches, 
and  having  erected  the  beautiful  structure  mentioned, 
full  of  honors  and  noble  deeds  he  passed  with  the 
fathers  to  his  home  of  peaceful  rest. 

Rev.  Thomas  Parker  was  another  example.  Pos- 
sibly in  his  day  he  baptized  four  thousand  persons. 
Passing  through  every  kind  of  trial  and  distress,  he 
lived  in  spite  of  opposition  and  changes  of  every 
kind.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he  was  the  pastor  of 
four  of  the  largest  churches  of  the  Kenansville  Asso- 
ciation. For  thirty  years  he  was  the  Moderator  of 
this  Association. 

It  is  easy  to  appreciate  improved  conditions  when 
they  are  in  evidence,  but  the  world  soon  forgets  those 
who  have  labored  to  lay  a  foundation.  Taking  every- 
thing into  consideration  the  early  fathers  of  the 
churches  coming  out  of  the  little  work  done  before 
the  war,  and  taking  into  consideration  the  ante-bellum 
Negro  Baptists,  the  churches  for  the  generations  to 
come  owe  them  a  debt  of  deepest  gratitude. 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE  WOKK   OF    THE    NORTHERN    SOCIE- 
TIES FOR  THE  COLOEED  BAPTISTS 
OF  NORTH  CAROLINA. 

The  American  Baptist  Home  Mission  Society. 

The  American  Baptist  Home  Mission  Society, 
which  was  organized  1832,  contemplated  the  uplift 
of  all  classes  and  conditions  of  the  people.  The  Ne- 
gro, although  enslaved,  naturally  appealed  to  such  an 
organization.  The  society,  being  an  important  factor 
in  the  general  Convention  of  Baptists,  North  and 
South,  did  much  in  and  through  the  early  mission- 
aries appointed  to  reach  the  Negro  with  the  gospel. 
Much  of  the  religious  development  and  improvement, 
even  in  that  dark  period,  may  be  traced  to  the  work 
and  influence  of  the  society  in  the  Negro's  behalf. 
Much  of  the  splendid  results  reported  from  year  to 
year  may  be  traced  to  the  field  work  in  North  Caro- 
lina. It  was  the  anxiety  of  the  Home  Mission  So- 
ciety, together  with  other  Northern  Baptists,  which 
led  to  differences  concerning  thi,'  missionary  work 
and  to  the  final  separation  of  the  white  Baptists  North 
and  South,  and  caused  the  organization  of  the  two 
distinct  bodies.  The  North  contended  that  the  insti- 
tution of  slavery  in  any  form  was  wrong,  and  should 
be  discouraged,  especially  by  the  Southern  church 
member ;  the  South  contended  for  the  continuance  of 


S.  N.  VASS,  D.D.. 

Superintendeut  of  Work  Among'  the  Colored 

People  under  the  American  Baptist 

Publication  Society. 


Work  of  Northern  Societies.  19 

slavery,  and  hence  separation  was  the  inevitable  re- 
sult. 

Not  only  was  this  upheaval  in  the  ecclesiastical 
councils,  but  the  entire  nation  was  stirred,  and  in  al- 
most every  question  which  came  before  the  Congress 
of  the  nation  the  question  of  slavery  was  injected. 
The  clash  of  arms  was  the  final  outcome,  and  victory 
on  the  side  of  the  Federal  troops  after  one  of  the 
most  bitter  struggles  the  world  has  ever  known. 

To  the  society  as  well  as  others  this  seemed  to  be 
the  hand  of  God.  The  door  of  opportunity  was 
thrown  wide,  and  among  the  first  Christian  organi- 
zations to  enter  the  work  of  uplifting  the  homeless, 
ignorant  Negro  was  the  American  Baptist  Home 
Mission  Society. 

Others  who  became  lifelong  benefactors  to  the 
cause  of  education  at  Shaw  were  influenced  through 
the  society.  Being  the  first  institution  of  its  kind  in 
North  Carolina,  not  only  were  the  Baptists  greatly 
benefited,  but  every  denomination  in  the  State  owes 
something  of  its  power  and  usefulness  to  the  men  in 
its  ranks  sent  out  from  Shaw  University.  The  great 
founder  of  Livingstone  College  at  Salisbury,  Dr.  J.  C. 
Price,  laid  the  foundation  for  his  education  at  Shaw 
University;  and  often  referred  to  this  beginning  as 
the  foundation  for  the  inspiration  which  made  him 
the  man  he  was.  While  Shaw  University  was  estab- 
lished as  a  Baptist  institution  it  was  always  quite 
liberal,  and  many  hundreds  of  all  the  denominations 
gathered  there  for  instruction.     It  was  only  in  the 


20  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

Theological  Department  that  the  distinctive  princi- 
ples of  the  Baptists  were  taught,  and  even  there  rep- 
resentatives of  other  churches  were  gathered  and  bet- 
ter prepared  to  preach  the  gospel  to  their  own  people. 

If  the  American  Baptist  Home  Mission  Society 
had  done  no  more  than  to  give  to  North  Carolina  col- 
ored Baptists  Shaw  University  and  H.  M.  Tupper. 
that  would  have  been  a  wonderful  blessing.  In  the 
twenty-five  years  of  Dr.  Tupper' s  active  and  untiring 
service  not  only  was  he  permitted  to  see  the  blessed 
light  of  intelligence  in  the  Normal,  Classical  and 
Theological  Departments,  but  Law,  Medical  and 
Pharmaceutical  Departments.  It  is  said  that  Rev. 
Tupper  was  called  to  the  bedside  of  a  poor  colored 
woman  in  Raleigh,  and  upon  inquiry  found  out  that 
she  had  no  doctor  in  attendance,  and  the  reason  was 
that  she  could  not  pay  any  doctor  for  lack  of  means, 
and  hence  had  to  be  neglected.  From  that  hour  he 
decided  on  the  Medical  Department  to  prepare  men 
of  the  colored  race  for  this  work.  It  has  been  further 
stated  that  his  own  embarrassment  before  the  courts 
of  Raleigh  in  the  long  trials  he  was  called  upon  to 
meet  and  his  difficulty  to  secure  lawyers  to  defend 
him,  led  to  the  establishment  of  the  Law  Department. 

Besides  the  educational  work  carried  on  by  the  so- 
ciety, missionary  work  was  instituted  from  the  be- 
ginning of  its  operation  in  the  State. 

The  new  condition  afforded  them  an  opportunity 
to  prosecute  the  work  of  missions,  not  to  the  slave 
Negro  as  before,  but  to  the    Negro    freeman.     Not 


Work  of  Northern  Societies.  21 

merely  to  confine  itself  to  missionary  work,  but  to  the 
erection  of  buildings  for  their  education  and  general 
uplift.  God  moved  upon  the  hearts  of  many  noble 
men  and  women,  not  only  to  give  their  money  to 
carry  on  this  work,  but  to  give  themselves  to  volunteer 
service,  both  to  preach  to  them  the  gospel,  and  to  teach 
them  in  the  day  and  night  schools.  The  attention  of 
the  Northern  philanthropist  was  turned  to  the  help- 
less Negro  in  the  Southland,  and  the  society  seized 
every  opportunity  to  combine  its  forces,  and  while  for 
a  time  much  opposition  was  manifest  to  the  new  pro- 
ject, in  the  providence  of  God  it  was  overcome,  and 
soon  the  society  began  to  pour  its  blessed  treasures  in 
North  Carolina  together  with  other  Southern  States. 
It  was  the  good  fortune  of  North  Carolina  to  have 
as  its  first  volunteer  Rev.  Henry  Martin  Tupper,  who, 
in  the  special  Providence  of  God,  saw  much  of  the 
needs  of  the  colored  people  while  fighting  in  behalf  of 
the  Union  and  the  freedom  of  the  Negro.  The  argu- 
ment which  overcame  the  opposition  which  we  have 
mentioned  in  the  ranks  of  the  society,  was  the  fact 
that  the  education  intended  was  to  prepare  men  and 
women  to  teach  in  the  schools,  and  especially  to  pre- 
pare men  of  the  Negro  race  to  preach  the  gospel  to 
their  own  race.  At  first,  according  to  the  resolution 
which  settled  the  conflict,  only  such  money  could  be 
used  even  in  this  work  as  should  be  sent  into  the  so- 
ciety specified  for  the  mission  work  and  education 
for  Negroes.  While  everlasting  gratitude  is  due  to 
the  heroism,  ability  and  energy  of  Eev.  Tupper,  still 


22  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

more  is  due  to  the  American  Baptist  Home  Mission 
Society,  which  made  it  possible  for  Rev.  Tupper  to  do 
the  great  work  he  did  at  Shaw  University. 

Five  hundred  thousand  dollars  were  contributed  by 
this  society  besides  other  gifts  from  other  sources  to 
the  establishment  and  maintenance  of  Shaw  Univer- 
sity previous  to  the  year  1908.  The  society  not  only 
gave  out  of  its  treasury  the  magnificent  sum  just 
mentioned,  but  opened  up  the  way  for  Rev.  Tupper  to 
reach  others  throughout  the  North. 

Considering  the  destitute  circumstances  and  condi- 
tions of  the  people  so  recently  emerged  from  slavery, 
nothing  could  so  stimulate  and  strengthen  all  classes 
as  the  missionary  who  was  thrown  in  daily  contact 
with  the  people  in  their  homes,  churches  and  else- 
where. With  the  advantages  of  education  the  mis- 
sionary was  quite  an  improvement  to  many  of  the 
pastors  in  the  churches,  and  his  message  was  both 
encouraging  and  enlightening.  He  was  not  only  re- 
quired to  go  into  the  towns  and  cities,  but  in  the  rural 
sections.  His  work  was  not  only  to  preach  in 
churches  already  established,  but  to  go  where  there 
were  no  churches  and  establish  them.  Many  churches 
owe  their  existence  to  the  missionary  work  of  the 
American  Baptist  Home  Mission  Society.  The  so- 
ciety not  only  gave  the  missionary  for  this  kind  of 
work,  but  in  many  instances  gave  from  their  Church 
Edifice  Fund  the  money  to  pay  for  its  erection.  In 
some  instances  this  money  was  borrowed,  in  others  it 
was  given,  just  as  the  individual  case  demanded.  Self- 


Work  of  Northern  Societies.  23 

dependence  was  the  instruction  given  to  the  mission- 
ary ;  and  it  proved  far  better  where  the  churches  were 
taught  self-support.  Indulgence  in  some  cases  proved 
detrimental  not  only  to  the  church,  but  to  the  society. 
Like  the  Missionary  Colporter  of  the  American  Bap- 
tist Publication  Society,  the  missionary  of  the  Home 
Mission  Society  was  instructed  to  hold  special  revival 
services  with  the  pastors  and  churches,  and  in  this 
way  many  thousands  were  added  to  the  churches 
through  conversion  in  these  meetings.  Some  of  the 
strongest  and  best  men  in  church  work  came  to  Christ 
through  the  preaching  of  the  Home  Mission  Society's 
missionary.  The  Scripture  that  says  "Iron  sharp- 
eneth  iron"  was  often  verified  in  the  missionary  of 
the  society  and  the  country  pastor.  This  proved  very 
helpful  to  the  pastor  and  the  church,  as  so  many  were 
deprived  of  the  opportunity  of  an  education. 

While  the  Southern  Baptist  Convention,  the  Bap- 
tist State  Convention  of  North  Carolina  formed  a 
part  of  the  cooperative  forces  in  the  plan  of  cooper* 
tion  in  North  Carolina,  it  had  its  foundation  largely 
in  the  Home  Mission  Society.  Dr.  Henry  L.  More- 
house, who  was  then  corresponding  secretary  of  the 
society,  drew  the  entire  plan,  together  with  the  courses 
of  study  laid  down  in  the  original  plan.  If  the  so- 
ciety had  done  no  more  for  the  colored  Baptists  than 
to  formulate  this  plan  and  bring  about  the  combina- 
tion of  the  white  Baptists  South  with  the  Negro  Bap- 
tists for  the  prosecution  of  cooperation,  that  of  itself 
would  have  been  a  wonderful  assistance,  for  of  all 


24  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

the  work  done  from  the  Emancipation  in  1863  to 
1908,  the  few  years  of  cooperation  proved  to  be  the 
most  helpful.  North  Carolina  Baptists  hardly  seemed 
like  the  same  people.  At  once  they  took  the  lead  of 
all  the  other  denominations  numerically,  and  in  edu- 
cational and  missionary  work. 

The  reports  of  the  different  secondary  schools  at 
the  close  of  the  time  of  the  plan  of  cooperation  showed 
that  fifty  thousand  dollars  were  raised  annually  by 
the  colored  Baptists  of  North  Carolina  in  support  of 
their  schools. 

From  1900  to  1908  the  society  not  only  gave  sup- 
port to  Shaw  University  but  gave  partial  support  to 
Waters'  Normal  Institute  at  Winton,  N.  C,  the  New 
Bern  Industrial  Institute  at  New  Bern,  N.  C,  and 
the  Thompson  Institute  at  Lumberton,  N.  C.  But  for 
the  aid  given  these  schools  they  could  never  have 
proven  the  blessing  they  did  prove  to  their  communi- 
ties. 

The  American  Baptist  Home  Mission  Society  did 
so  much  for  the  colored  Baptists  of  North  Carolina 
and  in  so  many  ways  it  was  thought  by  some  of  the 
Baptists  of  other  States  that  the  society  was  partial 
to  North  Carolina  Baptists,  and  to  an  extent  the 
charge  was  doubtless  true,  for  it  was  claimed  by  cer- 
tain leading  Home  Mission  Society  representatives 
that  the  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina  were  the 
most  grateful  and  loyal  people  with  whom  they  were 
associated  in  Christian  and  educational  work,   and 


Worh  of  Northern  Societies.  25 

hence  they  were  necessarily  inclined  to  do  more  for 
North  Carolina. 

When  the  disposition  of  many  Baptists  in  other 
States  and  a  few  in  North  Carolina  was  to  criticise 
and  turn  away  from  the  society,  the  great  majority 
of  North  Carolina  Baptists  stood  firm  and  unchange- 
able in  their  high  esteem  and  loyal  support  of  the 
Home  Mission  Society.  "Cooperation  with  religious 
bodies  for  the  advancement  of  the  Master's  kingdom 
and  economy  in  Foreign  Mission  work"  was  the 
watchword  throughout  North  Carolina ;  and  although 
at  times  the  contest  was  bitter,  even  with  some  of  the 
brethren  of  the  extreme  eastern  and  western  sections 
of  the  State,  the  Convention  stood  firm  and  true  to 
the  great  and  good  people  of  the  Home  Mission  So- 
ciety, who  had  stood  by  them  in  times  of  greatest 
need,  and  who  stood  ready  all  the  way  to  lend  the 
same  helping  hand.  It  was  rather  a  sad  spectacle  in 
North  Carolina  to  see  a  few  men  educated  in  the 
schools  of  the  American  Baptist  Home  Mission  So- 
ciety turn  away  with  the  basest  ingratitude,  and  with 
their  greatest  efforts,  though  feeble  at  best,  strike 
back  at  the  society.  The  sincerity  of  the  rank  and 
file  was  so  manifest,  and  God's  bountiful  blessing  to 
the  grateful  was  so  constant,  the  opposition  which  at 
a  time  was  so  threatening  soon  passed  away  and  the 
Baptists  of  North  Carolina  declared  in  unmistakable 
resolution  their  abiding  faith  and  loyalty  to  the  Home 
Mission  Society  and  its  interests  in  North  Carolina 
and  elsewhere  as  far  as  they  were  able.     This  spirit 


26  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

paved  the  way  to  the  society's  partial  benefactions 
and  to  their  decided  and  rapid  growth  and  develop- 
ment along  all  lines. 

Others  may  with  ingratitude  turn  away  from  the 
Home  Mission  Society,  but  for  all  time  the  rank  and 
file  of  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina  will  hold 
in  grateful  remembrance  and  appreciation  the  great 
Home  Mission  Society  which  did  so  much  to  shape 
their  destiny. 

The  American  Baptist  Publication  Society. 

As  soon  as  it  was  practicable,  after  the  emancipa- 
tion of  the  negroes  of  North  Carolina,  together  with 
the  Negroes  of  the  rest  of  the  Southern  States,  the 
American  Baptist  Publication  Society,  with  head- 
quarters in  Philadelphia,  began  its  colportage  and 
missionary  work  among  them.  The  organization  of 
the  Sunday  School  forces  of  North  Carolina  is  due 
more  largely  to  the  work  of  this  society  than  to  all  the 
other  forces  combined.  The  State  Sunday  School 
Convention  of  North  Carolina  owes  its  existence  to 
the  society.  Its  first  representative  in  North  Caro- 
lina was  Rev.  E.  E.  Eagles,  the  ablest  representative 
of  his  day.  With  his  exceptional  ability,  though  ig- 
norance and  superstition  had  lordly  sway,  much  in- 
formation was  gained  through  his  teachings  and  still 
more  through  the  distribution  of  Bibles,  tracts  and 
other  literature.  Rev.  A.  Shepard,  then  a  student 
at  Raleigh,  was  appointed  to  the  same  position,  and  it 


Work  of  Northern  Societies.  27 

was  through  his  labors  that  much  strength  was  given 
to  the  new  organization.  Rev.  Shepard  undertook 
to  strengthen  the  parent  body  by  the  organization  of 
the  different  counties  of  the  State  into  county  conven- 
tions as  auxiliaries.  Out  of  these  organizations  came 
the  Oxford  Orphan  Asylum,  which  has  since  been 
turned  over  to  the  State  as  a  State  institution.  Hence 
it  may  be  said  also  that  the  colored  Orphan  Asylum 
of  Oxford,  N.  C,  owes  its  existence  to  the  American 
Baptist  Publication  Society  as  well  as  the  State  Sun- 
day School  Convention. 

While  the  American  Baptist  Home  Mission  So- 
ciety of  New  York  has  done  its  work  in  North  Caro- 
lina among  the  colored  people  along  educational  lines, 
secular  and  Christian,  and  through  its  missionary 
effort  in  the  churches,  side  by  side  the  Publication 
Society  has  done  its  work  through  the  Sunday  school 
missionary  and  the  printed  page. 

All  of  the  leading  ministers  of  North  Carolina 
among  the  Negro  Baptists  owe  in  part  their  prepara- 
tion to  the  help  given  them  by  the  Publication  So- 
ciety. Many  of  them  were  furnished  libraries  from 
which  the  greater  part  of  their  instruction  was  de- 
rived. 

Thousands  and  tens  of  thousands  have  been  brought 
to  a  saving  knowledge  of  their  Redeemer  through 
teachings  coming  to  them  from  the  tracts  and  other 
religious  literature  sent  out  by  the  society.  Not  only 
have  many  been  thus  brought  to  a  saving  knowledge 
of  Christ,  but  much  of  the  soundness  of  their  faith 


28  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

is  due  to  this  wholesome  influence  and  instruction. 
Indeed,  it  proved  an  efficient  means  of  disseminating 
the  principles  as  taught  by  the  Baptists. 

Emerging  from  the  bondage  of  slavery,  with  faint 
ideas  of  homes  and  home  training,  one  of  the  greatest 
needs  after  securing  some  place  which  might  be  called 
by  the  name  of  home,  the  next  greatest  necessity  was 
the  proper  training  in  the  home.  The  work  as  out- 
lined and  followed  by  the  society  met  this  condition 
as  nothing  else  could.  The  duty  as  specified  to  the 
colporter  was  not  only  to  leave  the  literature  in  the 
home  but  a  prayer  and  the  necessary  instruction,  and 
hence  much  valuable  information  came  to  the  people 
through  this  medium,  which  in  many  instances  did 
more  than  the  printed  page  which  was  many  times 
cast  aside  in  his  absence,  while  the  truth  to  the  unlet- 
tered coming  into  his  hearing  found  its  way  into  his 
heart,  his  life  and  his  character. 

The  Class  of  Men  Appointed  by  the  Society. 

The  society  could  never  have  accomplished  so  much 
among  the  colored  Baptists  of  ISTorth  Carolina  but  for 
the  class  of  men  appointed  to  do  its  work.  Almost 
without  an  exception  the  men  proved  themselves  to 
be  men  of  rare  ability,  Christian  piety  and  devotion. 
We  have  already  mentioned  Rev.  E.  E.  Eagles,  the 
Baptist  veteran  of  his  day,  and  following  him  Rev. 
Augustus  Shepard,  who  spent  eighteen  years  in  the 
society's  service.  He  not  only  wielded  great  power 
in  the  Sunday  School  work,  but  was  equally  service- 


Work  of  Northern  Societies.  29 

able  in  the  church  Conventions.  Possibly  no  one  man 
in  his  day  has  done  so  much  to  lift  up  the  people  as 
did  this  pious  servant  of  God.  Then  following  him 
was  Rev.  A.  W.  Pegues,  Ph.D. ;  although  serving  but 
a  short  time  took  up  the  work  where  Rev.  Shepard 
left  it 

Rev.  P.  F.  Maloy  held  the  position  for  the  same 
length  of  time  as  did  Rev.  Pegues,  Rev.  Joseph 
Perry,  Rev.  M.  C.  Ransom,  Rev.  C.  H.  Williamson 
for  short  periods.  Then  came  Rev.  G.  W.  Moore  and 
Rev.  A.  B.  Vincent.  These  two  held  the  place  for  a 
number  of  years,  and  with  these  years  accomplished 
great  things  along  Sunday  School  lines.  For  two 
years  Rev.  J.  W.  Faulk,  Jr.,  was  associated  with  the 
work  in  the  eastern  section  of  the  State.  jSTorth  Caro- 
lina Baptists  proved  their  appreciation  to  the  society 
to  that  extent  that  they  enjoyed  not  only  the  appoint- 
ments mentioned  but  one  of  the  district  secretaries, 
Dr.  S.  ~N.  Vass,  was  born  in  JSTorth  Carolina,  and,  al- 
though partly  educated  in  an  Episcopal  institution, 
reading  one  of  the  tracts  of  the  society  saw  what 
seemed  to  him  the  only  right  way,  became  a  Baptist, 
and  after  completing  his  education  was  appointed  to 
serve  as  missionary  in  Virginia,  afterward  appointed 
District  Secretary  for  the  Southern  States. 

From  the  beginning  Rev.  Vass  showed  rare  ability, 
but  with  the  advance  of  years  he  proved  to  be  one  of 
the  ablest  men  of  the  entire  race  throughout  the  coun- 
try. By  the  organization  of  a  publishing  company 
of  colored  men  in  Nashville,  Tenn.,  and  this  organi- 


30  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

zation  having  behind  it  the  National  Baptist  Con- 
vention required  able  management  and  skill  to  enable 
the  Publication  Society,  which  it  was  claimed  was 
a  white  concern,  to  hold  its  place  in  the  estimation 
of  the  colored  people,  but  Dr.  Vass  proved  himself 
equal  to  the  occasion,  and,  while  much  of  the  patron- 
age of  the  colored  people  was  given  to  the  Negro  Pub- 
lishing House,  much  was  left  to  the  American  Bap- 
tist Publication  Society  through  the  influence  of  Dr. 
Vass.  In  fact,  with  the  extension  of  the  Sunday 
School  work  in  North  Carolina  among  the  colored  peo- 
ple, with  their  growing  intelligence  and  increasing  de- 
mands for  Sunday  School  literature,  even  with  the  in- 
troduction of  the  Negro  Publishing  House  literature, 
the  American  Baptist  Publication  Society  maintained 
its  usual  hold  in  point  of  Sunday  School  supplies. 

After  a  lapse  of  years,  just  as  it  should  have  been 
at  first,  both  houses  received  recognition  according 
to  the  wishes  of  the  individual,  or  according  to  the 
merits  of  each  as  seen  by  the  schools. 

Sunday  School  Institutes. 

With  the  State  Sunday  School  Convention  fully 
organized  and  cooperating  with  the  society  in  doing 
its  work  in  the  State ;  with  County  Conventions  in 
every  section,  and  with  its  literature  spread  in  every 
destitute  corner,  the  society  found  it  necessary  to  un- 
dertake a  new  kind  of  work  from  the  missionary  and 
colporter.  In  fact  the  people  asked  for  more  ad- 
vanced Sunday  School  work,  and  the  institute  plan 


Work  of  Northern  Societies.  31 

was  adopted  and  proved  to  be  very  effective  in  send- 
ing out  men  and  women  in  the  different  sections 
better  prepared  and  inspired  to  do  the  work  of  teach- 
ing in  the  schools.  The  missionary  was  not  only  seen 
with  his  budget  of  books  but  with  blackboard  and 
other  facilities  holding  Sunday  School  Institutes.  To 
meet  the  demands  the  society  arranged  general  meet- 
ings with  the  missionaries  of  other  States  so  as  to  bet- 
ter prepare  all  for  their  special  fields,  and  it  was  not 
long  before  the  schools  were  filled  with  better  men 
and  women  who  received  much  of  their  instruction 
and  inspiration  from  the  institutes.  Fortunately  the 
Home  Mission  Society,  cooperating  with  the  Church 
Convention,  just  as  the  Publication  Society  was  co- 
operating with  the  Sunday  School  Convention,  was 
holding  just  such  meetings  in  connection  with  the 
churches,  and  sometimes  even  joint  meetings  were 
held,  which  enabled  the  colored  Baptists  of  North 
Carolina  to  leap  into  prominence  and  usefulness  both 
in  their  church  and  Sunday  School  work.  Through 
such  influences  many  strong  men  and  women  were 
sent  forth  as  leaders,  not  only  to  meet  the  demands 
of  the  State,  but  in  other  States,  and  as  missionaries 
into  the  regions  of  dark  Africa. 

Evangelistic  Work. 

We  have  already  mentioned  the  many  thousands 
who  were  converted  to  Christ  through  the  work  of 
the  society  in  the  distribution  of  its  literature  and  its 
missionary  work,  but  as  in  the  instance  of  the  dc- 


32  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

mands  for  institutes  there  came  as  well  a  demand 
for  direct  means  of  bringing  the  children  to  a  saving 
knowledge  of  Jesus.  And,  too,  at  that  time  evangel- 
ism was  the  watchword  in  nearly  every  section  of  the 
country,  especially  among  the  white  Baptists  of  the 
North  and  West.  The  missionaries  sent  out  con- 
jointly by  the  society  and  the  State  Sunday  School 
Convention  were  instructed  to  hold  evangelistic  meet- 
ings wherever  it  was  practicable  to  do  so.  Such  meet- 
ings always  proved  very  helpful,  and  many  who  after- 
ward became  great  leaders  in  Sunday  School  and 
church  work  were  converted  in  these  meetings. 

From  1902  to  1908  the  reports  showed  that  the 
society  paid  out  to  its  missionaries  and  to  the  Dis- 
trict Secretary  for  salaries  three  thousand  dollars  a 
year. 

When  it  was  considered  that  this  Christian  organi- 
zation began  with  the  colored  people  in  the  days  of 
their  adversity,  and  did  so  much  for  them  in  that  dark 
period,  it  is  not  surprising  that  their  gratitude  was 
too  deep  to  turn  away  from  them  in  later  years. 

North  Carolina  took  the  lead  of  all  the  States  in 
its  manifestation  of  gratitude.  At  the  time  when  it 
looked  as  if  all  the  States  among  the  colored  people 
would  turn  away  North  Carolina  held  firmly  on,  and 
while  much  patronage  was  given  to  the  other  house 
the  orders  increased  to  the  American  Baptist  Publi- 
cation Society.  The  Children's  Day  exercises  were 
encouraged,  and  comparatively  large  sums  were  sent 


O    —  rt 

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Work  of  Northern  Societies.  33 

up  from  the  different  Sunday  Schools  of  the  State; 
yet  it  was  admitted  that  the  great  good  done  by  the 
society  in  the  general  uplift  of  the  colored  people  of 
North  Carolina,  as  well  as  elsewhere,  could  never  be 
repaid  in  dollars  and  cents. 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  BAPTIST    EDUCATIONAL    AND    MIS- 
SIONARY CONVENTION  OF  NORTH 
CAROLINA. 

The  Baptist  Educational  and  Missionary  Conven- 
tion of  North  Carolina  was  organized  in  Goldsboro, 
N.  C,  in  the  year  1867.  There  were  present  at  this 
organization  Revs.  Edward  Eagles,  C.  Johnson,  Wil- 
liam Warwick,  L.  W.  Boone,  B.  B.  Spicer,  H.  Grimes, 
John  Washington,  Charles  Bryant,  Sutton  Davis  and 
R.  H.  Harper.  To  have  seen  these  few  fathers  gath- 
ered with  no  experience  in  Christian  work,  recently 
emerged  from  slavery,  no  money,  brush  arbors  and 
log  churches  in  most  cases,  should  cause  the  Baptist 
hosts  of  after  years  to  look  with  supreme  admiration 
and  gratitude  upon  the  sacrifices  and  arduous  labors 
of  the  "fathers  in  Israel."  We  have  been  informed 
that  there  were  a  few  of  our  white  Baptist  brethren 
in  attendance  at  this  first  meeting  of  their  colored 
brethren  and  helped  them  to  plan  the  organization 
and  advise  for  its  future  operation.  It  was  evident 
that  the  organization  of  churches  was  imperatively 
necessary,  and  this  the  new  organization  determined 
to  do.  With  the  few  ministers  in  the  Convention 
and  in  the  State,  it  was  further  evident  that  "more 
laborers  were  needed  in  the  Master's  vineyard,"  and 
for  this  the  brethren  earnestly  prayed.  In  some  sec- 
tions it  has  been  charged  that  the  colored  Baptists 


Educational  and  Missionary  Convention.       35 

fostered  ignorance,  but  as  an  argument  to  the  con- 
trary in  this  first  organization  the  purchase  of  suit- 
able books  was  urged,  and  an  intelligent  ministry  as 
the  greatest  necessity. 

All  the  ministers  present  were  authorized  to  do 
missionary  work  in  their  immediate  vicinity,  and  as 
extensively  as  their  opportunities  would  allow.  Al- 
though the  beginning  was  meager  and  such  as  to  dis- 
hearten and  discourage  weaker  men,  these  fathers 
were  by  no  means  daunted.  They  had  strong  faith  in 
God,  and  He  in  His  all-wise  Providence  permitted 
many  of  them  to  see  a  wonderful  development  and 
growth  before  He  took  them  hence  to  their  eternal 
reward. 

From  the  beginning  the  negro  Baptists  of  North 
Carolina  have  felt  that  their  white  brethren,  with  su- 
perior advantages,  could  be  of  substantial  aid  to  them 
in  their  religious  and  moral  development,  and  they 
invited  representatives  to  meet  with  them  even  in 
their  organization  of  the  Convention.  In  the  annual 
meeting  of  the  white  Baptists  at  Wilmington  in  1867 
the  request  was  granted;  the  brethren  were  present 
and  rendered  valuable  service,  bidding  Godspeed  to 
their  colored  brethren. 

From  that  day  there  existed  ever  afterward  the 
kindliest  and  most  friendly  relations  between  the  two 
Conventions  in  North  Carolina,  the  white  brethren 
often  going  to  considerable  sacrifice  to  serve  them 
with  advice,  with  instruction  and  with  their  money. 

As  early  as  1865,  immediately  following  the  bitter 


36  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

struggle  in  arms  between  the  North  and  the  South, 
they  seemed  to  have  lost  sight  of  the  fact  that  the  Ne- 
groes had  been  their  slaves,  and,  together  with  their 
Northern  brethren,  despite  their  poverty  and  discour- 
agement, growing  out  of  the  bloody  contest  in  arms, 
they  sought  every  opportunity  to  do  the  colored 
brother  assistance. 

The  records  of  the  white  Baptists  will  show  that  a 
resolution  was  passed  in  their  first  Convention  follow- 
ing the  Emancipation,  which  reads  as  follows : 

"The  brethren  realize  that  a  new  responsibility  is 
thrust  upon  them  by  the  emancipation  of  the  slaves, 
and  pledge  themselves  to  do  all  in  their  power  for  the 
religious  and  educational  development  of  the  Negro." 
1876.  "We  would  urge  upon  our  pastors  and 
churches  the  importance  of  prosecuting,  so  far  as  pos- 
sible, the  work  of  giving  religious  instruction  to  the 
colored  people  among  us,  and  we  request  our  mission 
and  Sunday  School  brothers,  as  far  as  practicable, 
to  give  aid  in  organizing  and  expanding  among  their 
Sunday  School  and  church  privileges." 

This  was  further  shown  in  the  struggle  of  North 
Carolina  colored  Baptists  to  maintain  the  principle 
of  cooperation  with  the  religious  bodies;  the  white 
Baptists  of  the  State  stood  firmly  by  them  with  their 
moral  and  financial  support.  While  the  plan  of  co- 
operation emanated  from  the  North,  the  Southern 
white  brother  was  ripe  for  such  helpfulness,  even 
prior  to  the  plan. 


Educational  and  Missionary  Convention.       37 

A  resolution  passed  in  the  white  convention,  Golds- 
boro,  and  $500  was  appropriated  to  conduct  Institutes 
for  the  colored  Baptists  of  the  State. 

With  all  the  aid  which  came  to  the  Negro  Bap- 
tists of  North  Carolina,  with  ignorance,  poverty  and 
discouragement  staring  them  in  the  face,  and  with 
conditions  as  the  results  of  war,  and  a  people  set  free 
with  no  homes,  clotheless  and  often  foodless,  their 
struggles  were  often  bitter  and  disappointing. 

They  had  only  the  assurance  that  they  were  build- 
ing upon  a  sure  foundation — the  eternal  word  of 
God;  and  like  the  Apostle  to  the  Gentile  world  they 
rejoiced  that  they  were  "counted  worthy  to  suffer  af- 
fliction" for  the  cause  which  had  brought  to  them  light, 
life  and  salvation,  and  they  meant  as  best  they  could 
to  blaze  their  way  through  the  dense  wilderness,  and 
tell  the  story  which  has  since  made  many  thousand 
rejoice  together  with  them. 

For  many  years  comparatively  little  was  accom- 
plished.    The  growth  was  necessarily  slow,  but  sure. 

The  annual  reports  were  informal,  and  yet  these 
annual  meetings  were  often  attended  with  great  spirit- 
ual awakenings. 

It  may  be  said  of  the  Convention,  for  thirty  years 
after  its  organization  it  was  a  period  of  construction. 

In  many  of  the  rude  structures,  about  which  men- 
tion has  been  made,  great  revivals  broke  out  and  soul* 
were  brought  into  the  church  by  the  thousands  and 
tens  of  thousands. 


38  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

It  was  a  feast  at  the  close  of  each  conventional 
year  to  hear  these  fathers  and  pioneers  of  the  Con- 
vention telling  of  the  presence  of  God  in  their  early- 
revival  meetings. 

Rev.  John  Washington  was  the  first  missionary  sent 
out  by  the  Convention.  There  were  others  whom  we 
have  mentioned  laboring  for  the  Publication  So- 
ciety. It  is  claimed  that  Rev.  E.  E.  Eagles,  the  first 
missionary  of  the  Publication  Society,  organized  the 
Convention.  If  not,  he  was  a  great  stimulus  to  the 
work,  having  superior  advantages  over  most  of  his 
brethren.     Rev.  F.  R.  Howell  was  the  second. 

Rev.  Howell's  services  as  missionary  added  much 
strength  and  force  to  the  Convention.  Especially  did 
his  reports  give  the  much  needed  information  re- 
specting the  field,  and  caused  extension  of  missions 
into  unknown  sections  of  the  State. 

The  Convention  was  so  stimulated  and  enthused 
through  the  work  done  and  the  reports  of  Rev.  Howell 
until  they  were  encouraged  to  appoint  Rev.  P.  F. 
Maloy  to  succeed  him  as  their  missionary. 

While  Rev.  Maloy  was  not  faultless,  he  had  su- 
perior advantages  over  Rev.  Howell,  and  in  many 
respects  proved  to  be  an  ideal  missionary.  The  ap 
pointment  of  these  men  was  in  the  line  of  that  Provi- 
dence which  was  shaping  the  Convention  for  great 
future  usefulness. 

The  work  of  the  missionary  was  by  no  means  so 
definite  as  in  after  years,  and  possibly  it  was  well 
that  it  should  not  have  been,  as  it  left  room  for  that 


Educational  and  Missionary  Convention.       39 

service  so  necessary  to  meet  the  demand  of  that  early 
stage. 

Rev.  A.  B.  Vincent  came  in  just  previous  to  the 
"Plan  of  cooperation."  During  a  part  of  his  time, 
as  we  have  mentioned,  the  white  Baptists  made  ap- 
propriations which  were  supplemented  by  the  colored 
Convention,  and  some  of  the  leading  colored  breth- 
ren volunteered  their  services  in  connection  with  the 
regular  missionary,  which  greatly  assisted  him  in  the 
preparation  of  the  different  sections  for  the  splendid 
gift  of  cooperation.  It  may  be  said,  too,  even  prior 
to  the  appropriation  of  the  white  brethren  the  col- 
ored people  in  some  sections  realized  the  necessity 
of  a  better  and  a  more  united  ministry  and  formed 
Institutes.  We  recall  especially  such  meetings  held 
by  the  brethren  in  and  about  Warrenton,  Louisburg 
and  in  other  places.  Rev.  T.  J.  Taylor,  the  pastor 
of  the  white  Baptist  Church  of  Warrenton,  attended 
all  of  these  meetings,  and  it  was  doubtless  his  ac- 
quaintance with  the  plan  which  led  to  the  resolution 
which  he  offered  in  the  Goldsboro  Convention  appro- 
priating $500  to  this  kind  of  work  among  the  col- 
ored people. 

Just  as  the  Biblical  Recorder  was  the  greatest 
means  of  organizing  and  strengthening  the  while 
Baptists,  and  which  did  more  than  all  the  agencies 
to  make  them  what  they  were,  so  different  papers 
representing  the  colored  Baptists  proved  the  same  ef- 
ficient means  of  shaping,  developing  and  makirg 
them  what  they  became  in  after  years. 


40  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

At  different  times  the  Gold  Dust,  the  Baptist  Head- 
light, the  African  Expositor,  the  Chowan  Pilot  and 
the  Baptist  Sentinel. 

It  was  unfortunate  that  there  were  so  many  papers, 
but  under  the  circumstances  these  papers  would  but 
blossom,  bear  an  early  fruitage  and  then  die.  The 
Baptist  Sentinel,  like  the  others,  though  pas'iijg 
through  biting  frosts  and  bitter  cold,  came  into  ex- 
istence to  live;  and  despite  circumstances  did  .live, 
not  only  strengthening  the  State  Convention,  but  all 
other  organizations  throughout  the  State  which  were 
intended  for  the  betterment  of  the  Baptist  cause ; 
while  the  annual  collections  of  the  Convention  in- 
creased and  many  other  improvements,  both  in  point 
of  increasing  membership  and  better  plans  of  work, 
but  there  was  nothing  like  the  proper  organization  of 
the  forces  until  the  meeting  of  the  Convention  at 
Garysburg.  It  was  there  through  the  plan  drawn  up 
by  Dr.  A.  W.  Pegues  that  the  Convention  organized 
itself  into  Boards  which  proved  greatly  in  advance 
of  any  plan  which  had  before  been  tried.  The  work 
of  the  Boards  greatly  paved  the  way  to  the  plan  of 
cooperation  which  soon  came  into  existence.  The 
death  of  Rev.  Z.  Horton  was  announced  at  the  Garys- 
burg meeting.  Rev.  Horton  was  one  of  the  pioneers 
of  the  Baptist  work  of  North  Carolina.  Suitable 
resolutions  were  passed. 

An  effort  was  on  foot  at  this  time  to  raise  twenty- 
five  thousand  dollars,  an  endowment  to  the  presidency 
of  Shaw  University.    Dr.  K  F.  Roberts,  Prof.  S.  N. 


Educational  and  Missionary  Convention.       41 

Vass  and  Prof.  A.  B.  Vincent  canvassed  the  State 
in  the  interest  of  this  project. 

The  Convention  gave  liberal  contributions  to  this 
fund.  It  was  in  the  Oxford  meeting  that  the  plan  of 
cooperation  was  submitted  and  voted  upon  by  the 
Convention.  There  was  comparatively  no  opposition 
to  the  plan. 

The  general  missionary  and  the  three  district  mis- 
sionaries were  voted  upon  and  accepted  by  the  Con- 
vention, and  the  wheels  set  in  motion  for  that  for- 
ward movement  which  meant  more  to  North  Carolina 
than  all  the  efforts  of  its  past  thirty  years.  With 
four  of  the  Convention's  ablest  men  going  from  place 
to  place  throughout  the  State,  doing  special  mission- 
ary work,  holding  Ministerial  Institutes,  and  doing 
house  to  house  service,  it  could  not  serve  otherwise 
than  produce  wonderful  improvements  and  changes. 
It  was  soon  evident  that  the  colored  Baptists  would 
make  history  for  themselves,  and  correct  the  oft-re- 
peated story  that  the  "Negro  Baptists  had  no  men  of 
note."  The  missionary  was  hailed  with  delight  in 
sections  where  he  dare  not  go  before,  and  it  could  be 
said  in  reality  that  the  wilderness  was  blossoming 
as  the  rose.  The  fact  that  the  great  Home  Mission 
Society  of  New  York,  the  Southern  Baptist  Conven- 
tion, with  headquarters  in  Atlanta,  and  the  white 
Baptist  State  Convention  of  North  Carolina,  together 
with  the  colored  Convention,  were  behind  these  men, 
not  only  gave  to  them  financial  support  but  moral 
support  as  well ;  besides  greatly  stimulating  the  men 


42  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

themselves,  and  enabled  them  to  do  a  work  they  could 
not  otherwise  have  done. 

To  them  it  was  not  a  question  of  where  their  sal- 
ary was  coming  from,  it  was  provided  for  in  the 
plan.  It  was  theirs  to  do  their  work,  to  do  it  pro- 
ficiently, and  at  the  close  of  each  quarter  and  of  each 
year  to  render  accurate  reports  of  work  done  and  re- 
sults as  far  as  they  were  able  to  gather  them.  The 
results  were  good  as  evidenced  on  every  hand.  Not 
only  did  the  missionary  see  them  but  the  most  casual 
observer. 

Possibly  no  better  example  could  be  furnished  than 
in  Lumberton,  where  the  Baptist  people  simply  leaped 
into  prominence  materially,  morally  and  spiritually. 
Not  only  were  the  colored  people  led  to  rejoice  for 
splendid  harvests  and  for  the  broad  foundation, 
laid  through  their  work,  but  their  white  brethren 
throughout  the  State,  the  North  and  the  South  re- 
joiced with  them.  The  colored  brother  was  so  awak- 
ened, not  only  to  his  own  advancement,  but  rejoiced 
as  he  read  the  annual  reports  of  the  white  Convention 
at  their  constant  and  decided  growth. 

It  was  not  surprising  at  the  close  of  the  three  years 
that  the  vote  in  all  the  cooperating  bodies  should  have 
been  so  unanimous  for  'three  years  more  of  coopera- 
tion." 

The  thirty-third  annual  session  of  the  Convention 
was  held  in  the  First  Baptist  Church  of  Rocky 
Mount,  N.  C,  Dr.  A.  Shepard,  of  Durham,  N.  C, 
presiding.    Dr.  H.  L.  Morehouse,  of  New  York  City, 


Educational  and  Missionary  Convention.       43 

representing  the  American  Baptist  Home  Mission 
Society;  Dr.  W.  M.  Alexander,  of  Baltimore,  repre- 
senting the  Lott-Carey  Convention,  and  Dr.  J.  M. 
Armstead,  of  Portsmouth,  representing  the  Baptists 
of  Virginia,  were  present  and  made  able  speeches  on 
the  special  objects  they  came  to  represent.  After 
the  speech  of  Dr.  Morehouse  on  Cooperation,  which 
had  been  prosecuted  in  the  State  for  three  years,  the 
Convention  unanimously  voted  to  continue  the  work 
for  three  years  more,  pledging  its  loyal  support.  The 
Convention  also  voted  to  assume  the  responsibility  of 
a  teacher  in  the  Theological  Department  of  Shaw 
University.  The  report  of  the  treasurer  showed  that 
two  thousand,  six  hundred  and  twenty-four  dollars 
had  been  raised  during  the  year. 

The  new  year  began  with  bright  hopes;  the  Con- 
vention appointed  Rev.  R.  B.  Watts,  of  Wilkesboro, 
to  labor  in  the  western  and  mountain  section  of  the 
State,  with  instructions  to  give  as  much  time  as  prac- 
ticable to  the  section  of  the  State  beyond  the  Blue 
Ridge  Mountains. 

Rev.  C.  C.  Somerville,  who  had  labored  so  success- 
fully as  District  Missionary  for  Eastern  North  Caro- 
lina, sent  in  his  resignation  to  take  effect  October  1, 
1899.  His  place  was  filled  by  the  appointment  of 
Rev.  W.  T.  H.  Woodward,  of  Littleton,  N.  C. 

In  the  ISTew  Bern  Convention,  at  the  St.  John's 
Church,  Dr.  C.  F.  Meserve  made  an  able  plea  in  be- 
half of  Shaw  University,  and  Rev.  John  E.  White, 
the  Corresponding  Secretary  of  the    Baptist    State 


44  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

Convention  (white),  made  a  great  talk  as  he  usually 
did  at  the  annual  Conventions,  on  the  subject 
"Strengthen  the  things  that  remain."  Dr.  White 
never  lost  an  opportunity  to  help  the  colored  people, 
and  especially  the  colored  Baptists  of  North  Caro- 
lina, and  he  as  no  other  man  always  made  a  profound 
impression  on  our  Conventions. 

The  saintly  Miss  Joanna  P.  Moore,  of  Nashville, 
Tenn.,  was  also  present,  and  since  she  had  done  more 
than  they  all  in  behalf  of  the  colored  people,  not  only 
in  one  respect,  but  in  all  that  pertained  to  their  gen- 
eral uplift,  like  her  blessed  Savior,  who  gave  His  very 
life  for  humanity.  The  Convention  heard  her  with 
breathless  silence  and  appreciation.  The  Ministerial 
Union,  which  had  been  organized  many  years  pre- 
vious and  had  gone  down,  was  revived  at  this  meeting 
with  Rev.  R.  H.  Harper,  of  LaGrange,  President; 
Rev.  W.  R.  Mason,  ofJWeldon,  Vice-President;  and 
Rev.  S.  H.  Witherspoon,  Secretary.  The  amount 
of  the  annual  collections  had  increased  a  thousand 
dollars  over  the  previous  year.  The  Convention 
changed  the  time  of  the  annual  meeting  from  October 
to  November,  just  one  month  later.  This  was  an 
unusual  year  for  the  colored  Baptists  as  well  as  for 
the  colored  people  of  all  the  denominations;  especially 
in  the  eastern  section  of  the  State.  A  political  up- 
heaval such  as  the  State  had  not  known  before  was 
felt  everywhere,  and  much  of  the  enthusiasm  of  pre- 
vious years  was  lost;  many  of  the  colored  people  as 
a  result  moved  to  other  States,  and  hence  the  work 


Educational  and  Missionary  Convention.       45 

so  fairly  under  way  was  greatly  retarded.  And  yet, 
according  to  the  opinion  of  many  men  of  eminence 
of  the  opposite  race,  cooperation  in  the  State  at  such 
a  time  was  providential  and  a  great  blessing.  Such 
able  representatives  as  the  Convention  had  in  the  field 
and  representatives  of  the  two  races,  often  brought 
together  as  they  were  in  the  meetings  held  over  the 
State,  kept  up  a  better  understanding  than  would 
have  prevailed,  and  hence  did  much  to  remove  the 
bitterness  and  friction  which  doubtless  would  have 
otherwise  been  manifest.  If  this  was  true,  and  we 
have  reason  to  believe  it  was,  if  cooperation  had  done 
no  more  than  allay  race  feeling,  which  was  already 
exceedingly  harmful  to  both  races,  that  of  itself  would 
have  been  worth  the  amount  of  money  expended  for 
its  maintenance.  Rev.  D.  J.  Moore,  of  Emerson,  N". 
C,  and  Rev.  A.  Ellis,  of  Waco,  !N\  C,  were  appointed 
to  labor  respectively  in  the  southern  and  western  sec- 
tions of  the  State  in  behalf  of  the  Convention. 

Dr.  C.  L.  P.  Taliaferro,  of  Philadelphia,  Editor  of 
the  Christian  Banner,  and  Rev.  I.  Toliver,  of  Wash- 
ington, D.  C,  were  in  attendance  at  the  next  annual 
session  of  the  Convention  at  Franklinton,  and  were 
elected  honorary  members.  A.  W.  Pegues,  J.  A. 
Whitted,  E.  E.  Smith,  C.  Johnson,  C.  S.  Brown  and 
I.  W.  Holden  were  appointed  a  committee  to  petition 
the  Legislature  in  its  session  following  in  behalf  of  a 
reformatory  for  youthful  criminals  of  the  colored 
race.  # 

Rev.  John  E.  White,  about  whom  reference  has  al- 


46  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

ready  been  made,  had  received  a  call  to  the  Second 
Baptist  Church  of  Atlanta,  Ga.,  gave  his  farewell  ad- 
dress to  his  colored  brethren,  and  those  who  were  so 
fortunate  as  to  hear  that  address  will  never  forget  the 
impression  it  made  on  the  Convention. 

Following  this  meeting  of  the  Convention  Rev.  P. 
F.  Maloy,  who  had  been  the«Western  District  Mis- 
sionary since  cooperation  had  been  inaugurated,  ac- 
cepted the  call  to  the  Friendship  Baptist  Church  of 
Charlotte,  N.  C,  and  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  G.  O. 
Bullock,  who  proved  to  be  eminently  successful  in 
putting  new  life,  interest  and  confidence  in  the  work 
throughout  the  entire  West. 

Like  his  predecessor  Rev.  Livingston  Johnson,  the 
Corresponding  Secretary  of  the  white  Convention, 
met  the  Convention  in  its  annual  session  at  Lumber- 
tom-^Rev.  Johnson  soon  convinced  his  brethren  that 
he  was  indeed  a  worthy  successor  of  a  great  and  good 
man.  It  was  in  the  Lumberton  Convention  that  ef- 
forts were  put  forth  to  bring  about  a  closer  union  be- 
tween the  Educational  and  Missionary  Convention 
and  the  Woman's  Convention.  Representatives  of 
both  Conventions  met  and  held  conferences  on  plans 
for  a  closer  union.  One  of  the  plans  adopted  was  to 
have  a  board  of  supervisors  appointed  by  the  Educa- 
tional and  Missionary  Convention,  whose  duty  it 
should  be  to  advise  the  women  in  their  work.  A. 
Shepard,  A.  B.  Vincent,  J.  R.  Cozart,  G.  W.  Moore 
and  C.  C.  Somerville  were  appointed  a  committee 
to  represent  the  Convention  in  the  ISTegro  Young  Peo- 


Educational  and  Missionary  Convention.       47 

pie's  Congress  to  be  held  in  the  interim  of  the  Con- 
vention in  Atlanta,  Ga. 

The  report  of  the  treasurer  showed  that  six  thou- 
sand eight  hundred  and  eighty-one  dollars  had  been 
raised  for  the  different  objects  of  the  Convention 
during  the  year,  which  was  an  evidence  of  the  rapid 
growth  of  the  colored  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

The  Negro  Young  People's  Congress,  which  met  in 
Atlanta  in  August  of  that  year,  was  by  far  the  great- 
est gathering  of  intelligent  Negroes  known  in  the 
world's  history.  A  fair  estimate  placed  the  number 
at  eight  thousand.  This  was  a  splendid  opportunity 
to  demonstrate  the  strength  of  the  Negro  Baptists, 
not  only  of  North  Carolina,  but  of  the  United  States. 
The  place  they  filled  on  the  program  and  in  the  Con- 
vention bore  evidence  of  their  superior  standing  in 
the  entire  race  of  the  country.  This  fact  gave  them 
much  inspiration  and  encouragement,  t  The  plan  of 
cooperation  contemplated  smaller  appropriations  from 
the  white  organizations  cooperating  with  the  colored 
Baptists,  which  necessitated  larger  appropriations 
from  the  colored  people  themselves.  Realizing  the 
great  good  which  the  plan  had  brought  to  the  cause 
the  brethren  rallied  manfully.  Their  educational 
work,  which  had  too  increased  their  burdens,  made 
it  but  the  harder  to  support  the  cooperative  work,  but 
they  kept  good  their  obligations,  and  thereby  increased 
the  confidence  of  their  white  brethren,  North  and 
South.  Eight  thousand  dollars  were  reported  in  the 
Durham  Convention,  which  exceeded  any  report  pre- 


48  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

viously  made.  This  did  not  include  the  amounts 
raised  for  educational  purposes.  It  was  always  diffi- 
cult to  get  an  accurate  report  from  the  different  as- 
sociations as  it  was  well-nigh  impossible  to  get  all  the 
associations  in  the  State  to  report  to  the  Convention. 
Some  out  of  opposition,  some  from  indifference  and 
several  because  of  the  spirit  only  to  foster  and  sup- 
port objects  at  their  doors.  Rev.  W.  T.  H.  Wood- 
ward, failing  in  health,  resigned  as  District  Mission- 
ary for  Eastern  North  Carolina.  Like  Dr.  Somer- 
ville,  Rev.  Woodward  did  a  lasting  work  in  the  east- 
ern section  of  the  State,  and  brought  many  in  touch 
with  the  work  who  had  not  previously  supported  it. 
Rev.  D.  J.  Avera,  of  Lumberton,  N.  C,  was  ap- 
pointed to  succeed  Rev.  Woodward.  Rev.  A.  B.  Yin- 
cent,  who  had  held  the  place  of  Central  Missionary, 
resigned  his  work  to  do  pastoral  work  at  Oxford.  The 
eastern  and  western  sections  were  extended,  which 
made  the  central  section  smaller,  and  the  General 
Missionary  took  this  section  together  with  his  duties 
as  General  Missionary.  The  Kinston  meeting  sug- 
gested many  changes.  Dr.  E.  E.  Smith  was  elected 
as  one  of  the  editors  of  the  Baptist  Sentinel.  The 
American  Baptist  Home  Mission  Society  submitted 
a  proposition  to  the  Convention  relative  to  Shaw  TJni 
versity.  The  Home  Mission  Society  agreed  if  the 
colored  Baptists  of  North  Carolina  would  raise  five 
thousand  dollars  for  Shaw  University  they  (the  Home 
Mission  Society)   would  give  thirteen  thousand  dol- 


Educational  and  Missionary  Convention.       49 

lars  for  a  Tupper  Memorial  Building  and  Estey  Semi- 
nary annex.  The  proposition  was  accepted,  the  place 
of  General  Missionary  abandoned,  and  the  Corre- 
sponding Secretary  was  appointed  to  raise  the  five 
thousand  dollars  within  the  limited  time  of  two  years. 
The  Secondary  Baptist  Schools  of  North  Carolina 
were  formed  into  a  confederation  to  receive  support 
in  part  from  the  Convention.  Although  the  amount 
of  money  which  each  school  received  was  very  small 
yet  it  stimulated  the  schools  while  it  greatly  increased 
the  interest  in  the  Convention  from  the  different  sec- 
tions where  these  schools  were  located. 

Very  much  to  the  regret  of  the  Convention  Rev. 
G.  O.  Bullock  resigned  as  District  Missionary  for  the 
western  section  to  take  charge  of  the  pastorate  of  the 
Friendship  Church,  Charlotte,  vacated  by  Rev.  P.  F. 
Maloy.  Dr.  S.  H.  Witherspoon,  of  the  Ebenezer 
Church  of  Charlotte,  was  elected  to  take  the  place 
made  vacant  by  the  resignation  of  Rev.  Bullock. 
After  serving  one  year  in  this  capacity  Dr.  Wither- 
spoon was  promoted  to  the  position  of  Corresponding 
Secretary.  Rev.  D.  J.  Avery  left  the  eastern  section 
for  the  pastorate,  and  Rev.  L.  T.  Bond  was  elected 
at  the  Wilmington  meeting  to  succeed  him.  It  was 
in  the  Salisbury  meeting  that  the  Convention  heard 
with  profound  regret  of  the  death  of  Rev.  G.  W.  Hol- 
land, of  the  First  Church  of  Winston-Salem,  !N\  C. 
Few  men  had  done  more  than  Rev.  Holland  both  in 
the  extension  of  the  church  work  and  in  his  loyalty 


50  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

to  the  Convention,  and  hence  his  death  was  keenly 
felt  by  his  brethren.  Dr.  L.  G.  Jordan,  Correspond- 
ing Secretary  of  the  Foreign  Mission  Board  of  the 
National  Baptist  Convention,  was  present  in  the 
Salisbury  meeting  and  the  brethren  gave  him  a  royal 
welcome,  especially  in  view  of  the  fact  that  it  dem- 
onstrated the  union  which  for  the  first  time  in  many 
years  existed  between  the  two  Conventions.  Previous 
to  this  time  Dr.  Beckham  had  visited  the  Convention, 
but  not  in  the  capacity  of  an  invited  guest.  We  have 
already  mentioned  the  differences  which  arose  be- 
tween the  Educational  and  Missionary  Convention 
of  Worth  Carolina  and  the  National  Baptist  Conven- 
tion. As  a  result  of  this  difference  the  extreme  east- 
ern section  of  the  State  had  formed  themselves  into 
an  organization  called  "The  Baptist  State  Convention 
of  North  Carolina."  The  organization  was  formed 
very  much  to  the  regret  of  the  regular  Convention 
brethren,  and  existed  for  a  short  while.  The  feeling 
between  the  brethren  of  the  two  Conventions  was 
never  so  radical  as  in  other  States  where  such  rival 
Conventions  existed.  Both  felt  that  they  were  con- 
tending for  a  principle.  When  the  union  between 
the  mother  Convention  of  the  State  and  the  National 
Convention  was  effected  there  was  nothing  for  the 
new  Convention  to  feed  upon,  and  hence  instead  of 
strengthening  it  weakened. 

The  face  of  Dr.  J.  O.  Crosby,  so  familiar  to  his 
brethren  when  visiting  Salisbury,  was  conspicuous 
for  the  absence  which  had  called  him  to  distant  Cali- 


Educational  and  Missionary  Convention.       51 

fornia  to  take  up  his  future  abode.  For  many  years 
Dr.  Crosby,  one  of  the  ablest  men  of  the  State,  was 
identified  with  every  interest  of  the  Baptists. 

The  first  report  of  Dr.  Witherspoon  was  read  at 
the  Oxford  Convention.  Dr.  Witherspoon  was  quite 
zealous  and  faithful  in  carrying  forward  the  cause 
of  the  Convention  as  left  to  his  care.  There  were, 
however,  many  disadvantages  under  which  he  had 
to  labor.  As  we  have  already  said  according  to  the 
plan  of  the  work  he  had  to  raise  larger  amounts  of 
money,  fewer  and  less  experienced  men  to  assist  him, 
and  himself  new  to  the  field  as  a  whole.  Yet  his 
brethren  acknowledged  his  faithfulness.  The  Baptist 
Sentinel,  the  organ  of  the  Convention,  changed  in 
part  and  Dr.  C.  S.  Brown,  a  man  of  wide  experience 
as  a  writer  and  of  exceptional  ability,  was  made  one 
of  the  editors. 

Dr.  A.  W.  Pegues,  Dean  of  the  Theological  De- 
partment of  Shaw  University,  had  resigned  as  a  ne- 
cessity on  account  of  his  health,  and  had  again  as- 
sumed control  of  the  Deaf  and  Dumb  Institution. 
Dr.  P.  F.  Morris,  of  Lynchburg,  Virginia,  was  elected 
in  his  place.  He  made  his  appearance  before  the 
Convention  in  Oxford  and  presented  a  strong  plea  for 
the  work  of  the  Department  of  Theology.  The  ten- 
dency of  so  many  of  our  people  to  erroneous  views 
on  the  questions  of  Sanctification,  Holiness,  the  "New 
Tongue,"  caused  the  Convention  to  appoint  Dr.  Pe- 
gues to  give  the  Baptist  view  on  the  subject.  When 
he  was  through  all  understood  our  position  as  Bap- 


52  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

tists  on  the  questions,  and  all  were  greatly  edified. 
Dr.  Clugh,  Secretary  of  the  Educational  Board  of 
the  National  Baptist  Convention,  spoke  on  the  estab- 
lishment of  a  National  Theological  Seminary,  to  be 
under  the  general  supervision  of  the  National  Bap- 
tist Convention.  Dr.  W.  M.  Alexander  made  an  un- 
usual impression  in  the  interest  of  Foreign  Missions. 
Before  the  next  meeting  of  the  Convention,  in  the 
Providence  of  God,  Dr.  Walter  A.  Patillo,  of  Oxford, 
was  taken  away.  Dr.  Patillo  was  a  strong  man  taken 
from  the  ranks,  loyal  to  every  interest,  and  had  done 
quite  a  lot  of  church  and  other  kinds  of  Christian 
work.  The  Convention,  as  it  appeared  in  1908,  was 
far  from  the  Convention  of  even  fifteen  years  prior. 
The  church  work  in  every  respect  had  made  great 
strides.  Brush  arbors  and  log  churches  were  no 
more.  In  many  instances  brick  structures  had  been 
erected.  The  value  of  church  edifices  and  Baptist 
property  had  long  since  reached  the  hundreds  of  thou- 
sands of  dollars.  The  ministry  compared  favorably 
with  all  the  churches  and  the  wilderness  of  the  re- 
cent past  changed  to  blossom  into  intelligence,  piety 
and  Christian  dignity. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

FOREIGN  MISSIONS— THE  HAYES  &  FLEM- 
MING FOREIGN  MISSION  SOCIETY. 

The  object  of  the  Hayes  &  Flemming  Foreign  Mis- 
sion Society  was  to  aid  in  support  of  Rev.  J.  O.  Hayes 
and  Miss  Lula  C.  Flemming,  engaged  in  Foreign 
Mission  work  in  Africa. 

Soon  after  these  two  consecrated  servants  graduated 
from  Shaw  University  they  went  to  their  fields  of 
labor.  Brother  Hayes  felt  called  to  go  to  Liberia , 
West  Africa;  Sister  Flemming  to  the  Congo  Free 
State.  To  give  them  direct  support,  although  the  Na- 
tion Baptist  Foreign  Mission  Convention  was  in  ope- 
ration, this  society  was  organized;  and  while  its 
headquarters  were  in  Raleigh,  branch  societies  were 
organized  and  operated  in  different  sections  of  the 
State. 

Much  of  the  Foreign  Mission  spirit  which  after- 
ward prevailed  in  North  Carolina  was  the  result  of 
the  Hayes  &  Flemming  Society,  with  its  branches,  ex- 
erting an  influence  here  and  there. 

The  work  became  so  successfully  organized  until 
almost  every  week  during  the  year  a  Foreign  Mission 
contribution  came  into  the  main  office.  This  was 
kept  up  until  the  Foreign  Mission  Convention  of  the 
United  States  adopted  Rev.  Hayes  as  their  mission- 
ary. Until  this  time  his  entire  support  came 
through  this  society.     And,  too,  in  that  dark  period 


54  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

there  was  nothing  like  the  method  in  sending  Foreign 
Mission  money  as  prevailed  afterward. 

It  was  an  inspiration  to  meet  in  a  Hayes  &  Hemm- 
ing Society  meeting.  Usually  a  program  was  pro- 
vided; reports  from  the  missionaries  were  read  and 
sent  broadcast,  and  everything  to  enlighten  and  in- 
spire characterized  these  meetings.  Hence  the  rapid 
growth  which  led  to  more  extensive  work  in  the  Dark 
Continent.  Hardly  a  Baptist  meeting  of  any  im- 
port was  held  in  the  State  unless  a  place  was  provided 
for  a  missionary  sermon.  Dr.  H.  M.  Tupper,  Presi- 
dent of  Shaw  University,  was  possibly  the  most  active 
worker  the  society  had,  and  no  work  of  his  life  of 
usefulness  appealed  more  closely  to  him  than  this 
work.  As  in  all  other  work  he  undertook  he  spared 
neither  time  nor  money  to  make  the  society  go,  and 
it  went. 

Like  some  lovely  flower  which  seems  born  to  bloom 
and  give  its  fragrance  and  pass  away,  the  Hayes  & 
Flemming  Foreign  Mission  Society  existed  but  for 
a  short  time,  but  not  like  the  fragrance  of  the  flower 
to  die,  it  can  not  die,  for  through  its  influence,  as  we 
have  already  said,  life  was  infused  into  the  Baptist 
forces  of  the  State,  and  to  some  extent  on  the  country ; 
its  influence  was  and  will  be  felt  in  the  redemption 
of  precious  souls  on  the  burning  sands  of  heathendom. 

Such  women  as  Miss  Lula  C.  Flemming  are  sel- 
dom found.  Whatever  she  undertook  to  do  she  did 
it  fearlessly,  and  "with  all  her  might."  She  soon 
went  beyond  human  endurance.     She  not  only  under- 


Hayes  and  Flemming  Missionary  Society.     55 

took  to  administer  to  the  souls  of  men,  but  she  came 
back  to  Philadelphia,  took  a  course  in  medicine  and 
went  back  with  more  zeal  and  earnestness  to  adminis- 
ter to  both  soul  and  body.  It  was  while  contributing 
to  the  latter  that  she  fell  a  victim  to  a  disease  from 
which  she  never  rallied,  although  by  a  special  Provi- 
dence she  was  spared  to  reach  her  native  land.  Mis- 
sions, the  essence  of  Christianity,  can  not  die.  Al- 
though Miss  Flemming  was  called  to  a  merited  rest, 
she  adopted  Rev.  Tule,  brought  him  to  this  country 
to  be  educated  for  the  work  of  the  ministry  in 
Africa,  and  her  mantle  though  worthily  worn,  fell  on 
the  shoulders  of  an  energetic  and  faithful  successor. 

With  Rev.  J.  O.  Hayes  in  the  hands  and  under  the 
direction  of  the  Foreign  Mission  Convention,  and 
with  Miss  Flemming  transported  to  her  place  of  final 
rest,  there  remained  no  longer  a  cause  for  the  exist- 
ence of  the  Hayes  &  Flemming  Foreign  Mission  So- 
ciety. Hence  the  organization  united  with  the  Na- 
tional Convention  forces. 

The  Lott-Caret  Baptist  Home  and  Foreign  Mis- 
sion Convention  of  the  United  States. 

This  Convention  was  organized  in  the  city  of 
Washington  in  1897. 

In  the  National  Convention,  which  met  in  the  city 
of  Boston  a  year  previous  to  the  organization  of  the 
Lott-Carey  Convention,  great  dissatisfaction  was  ex- 
pressed by  many  of  the  delegates  on  the  ground  that 


56  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

the  Convention  covered  too  much  territory,  and  a 
great  deal  of  money  could  be  saved  to  the  cauae  of 
Foreign  Missions  by  the  Convention  organizing  it- 
self into  districts,  and  each  district  hold  its  annual 
meetings  and  report  through  the  regular  organiza- 
tion. A  committee  was  appointed  and  a  report  was 
submitted  to  the  Convention,  but  was  voted  down. 
Cooperation  with  the  Northern  and  Southern  white 
Baptists  was  on  trial  in  several  of  the  States.  The 
Convention  not  only  showed  hostility  to  the  district- 
ing plan  by  an  open  vote  in  Convention,  but  its  dis- 
approval to  the  plan  of  cooperation.  The  delegation 
from  North  Carolina  were  a  unit  for  the  district 
plan  and  for  cooperation.  An  informal  meeting  was 
called  of  the  brethren  in  Boston,  and  while  no  defi- 
nite action  was  taken  it  was  evident  that  a  new  con- 
vention, whose  policy  should  be  cooperation  and 
economy  in  Foreign  Missions,  would  be  formed. 
In  the  fall  meeting  of  the  North  Carolina  Conven- 
tion in  Charlotte,  N.  C,  after  careful  consideration 
a  committee  was  appointed  to  issue  a  call  to  other 
States  to  unite  in  the  formation  of  a  Foreign  Mis- 
sion Convention.  Delegates  from  Virginia,  Mary- 
land, the  District  of  Columbia,  Pennsylvania  and 
other  Eastern  States,  met  in  the  city  of  Washington 
and  organized  a  convention,  afterward  named  the 
Lott-Carey  Home  and  Foreign  Mission  Convention 
of  the  United  States. 

Dr.  P.  F.  Morris,  of  Lynchburg,  Va.,  President; 
Dr.  W.  M.  Alexander,  of  Baltimore,  Corresponding 


Hayes  and  Flemming  Missionary  Society.     57 

Secretary;  Dr.  A.  W.  Pegues,  of  Raleigh,  IS".  C,  Re- 
cording Secretary;  Dr.  C.  S.  Brown,  of  Winton,  N*. 
C,  was  elected  President  in  the  second  annual  meet- 
ing. With  these  men  in  the  lead,  and  with  the  loy- 
alty of  the  Conventions,  associations  and  churches 
which  had  espoused  the  cause  of  the  new  convention 
it  took  on  new  life  in  the  beginning. 

At  first  the  Lott- Carey  Convention  met  much  op- 
position from  the  old  Convention,  and  led  to  divis- 
ions in  nearly  all  the  States  composing  the  new  Con- 
vention ;  but  through  this  rivalry  the  forces  on  either 
side  were  greatly  strengthened  and  a  much  greater 
work  was  accomplished  on  the  home  and  foreign 
field. 

Beginning  with  an  annual  collection  of  four  hun- 
dred dollars,  the  Lott-Carey  Convention  soon  grew  to 
the  collection  of  as  many  thousand  dollars  each  year. 
The  collections  for  the  first  six  years  were  ten  thou- 
sand dollars. 

Standing  for  cooperation  as  one  of  its  principles, 
the  plan  was  fairly  tested  in  North  Carolina  and  Vir- 
ginia. Not  only  were  the  organizations  in  these  two 
States  enabled  to  do  the  usual  amount  of  work  but 
by  far  the  greatest  work  in  their  history.  Their 
reports  for  their  State  work  were  much  better  and 
their  Foreign  Mission  collections  were  more. 

In  the  annual  Convention  held  in  Baltimore  it  was 
decided  that  the  women  should  be  organized  into  a 
separate  organization,  auxiliary  to  the  regular  Con- 
vention. 


58  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

The  organization  was  formed  and  known  as  the 
Woman's  Auxiliary  Convention.  The  women  proved 
at  once  their  ability  to  raise  money,  and  the  first 
year  they  raised  as  much  money  as  the  entire  Con- 
vention raised  at  its  first  session. 

Missionaries  and  Theik  Work. 

Rev.  J.  O.  Hayes,  who  had  labored  in  Africa  for 
a  number  of  years  and  at  one  time  missionary  under 
the  supervision  of  the  National  Baptist  Convention, 
accepted  an  appointment  under  the  Lott-Carey  Con- 
vention; Rev.  John  Tule,  a  native  African,  was  also 
appointed.  Rev.  C.  C.  Boone  and  Mrs.  C.  C.  Boone 
were   afterward   appointed. 

The  labors  of  these  missionaries  were  abundantly 
fruitful  and  successful.  Rev.  Tule,  although  labor- 
ing under  the  supervision  of  the  Lott-Carey  Conven- 
tion but  five  years,  having  been  removed  by  death, 
baptized  three  hundred  native  Africans.  The  death 
of  Rev.  Tule  was  quite  a  blow  to  the  Foreign  Mis- 
sion cause,  but  in  his  death  the  Convention's  life 
was  by  no  means  extinct.  One  of  the  converts  of 
Rev.  Tule  was  Mdodana.  Soon  after  Mdodana  was 
baptized  he  gave  evidence  of  a  call  to  the  gospel  min- 
istry. He  made  known  his  call  and  a  desire  to  pre- 
pare for  his  life  work. 

Provision  was  made  for  Mdodana  in  one  of  the 
Home  Mission  schools  at  Selma,  Alabama,  and  after 
three  years  of  study  Rev.  Mdodana  was  prepared  to 
take  up  the  mantle  laid  down  by  Tule. 


Hayes  and  Flemming  Missionary  Society.     59 

After  traveling  through  North  Carolina  and  cer- 
tain portions  of  Virginia  Mdodana  set  sail  for  the 
field  December  25,  1904. 

Mrs.  C.  C.  Boone  had  but  fairly  begun  her  work 
among  the  heathen  when  she  was  called  from  labor 
to  reward.  Only  eighteen  months  in  the  work;  but 
they  were  months  of  arduous  toil  and  care,  and  the 
accomplishments  for  so  short  a  time  were  an  inspira- 
tion to  the  husband  still  left  to  labor  a  little  longer. 
The  Missionary  Union  of  Boston  greatly  facilitated 
the  work  of  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Boone.  The  Lott-Carey 
Convention,  maintaining  as  one  of  its  principles 
"cooperation  with  any  and  all  Christian  organiza- 
tions for  the  advancement  of  the  Kingdom,"  entered 
into  cooperation  with  the  Missionary  Union  of  Bos- 
ton on  condition  that  the  union  should  furnish  "the 
base  of  operation"  for  its  missionaries,  while  the  sal- 
ary and  other  expenses  were  to  be  met  by  the  Con- 
vention. This  was  a  great  advantage  to  the  Con- 
vention and  to  Rev.  Boone,  the  first  appointee  under 
the  plan.  Full  of  zeal  and  faith  in  his  ability  to 
do  the  great  work  of  soul  saving,  Rev.  Boone  proved 
himself  a  great  power  in  the  Foreign  Missionary 
work.  Many  souls  were  brought  to  Christ,  and  a 
broad  foundation  was  laid  for  future  results. 

North  Carolina,  first  in  the  organization,  and  hav- 
ing two  of  her  sons  in  the  foreign  field,  had  a  great 
incentive  to  the  activity  which  characterized  her  re- 
lations to  the  Convention  from  the  beginning.  Rev. 
James  O.  Hayes,  the  veteran  missionary,  hailed  from 


60  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

Sampson  County,  North  Carolina.  After  gradu- 
ating from  Shaw  University  he  gave  his  whole  life 
work  to  "the  land  of  his  fathers."  While  much  of 
his  time  was  given  to  school  work,  he  wrote  his  name 
high  on  the  roll  of  the  Christian  missionaries.  We 
have  already  said  that  the  rivalry  between  the  two 
Conventions  caused  both  to  do  more  than  they  would 
have  done  otherwise.  The  missionary  force  from  the 
National  Convention  was  largely  increased,  more 
money  was  raised  for  the  foreign  work  and  more 
care  used  in  its  appropriations. 

The  first  seven  years,  in  summing  up  the  results, 
the  Corresponding  Secretary  showed  that  seventy 
per  cent  of  all  collections  raised  on  the  home  field 
had  been  expended  on  the  foreign  field;  that  ten 
thousand  dollars  had  been  raised  and  seven  hundred 
persons  had  been  baptized  as  the  direct  results  of  the 
missionary  work  of  the  Lott-Carey  Baptist  Home  and 
Foreign  Mission  Convention. 

The  reversal  of  the  National  Convention  after 
seven  years  proved  the  convincing  influence  of  the 
Lott-Carey  Convention. 

Cooperation  as  taught  and  practiced  by  the  Lott- 
Carey  Convention  was  called  subordination  by  the 
parent  body,  but  after  six  years  the  National  Con- 
vention reversed  itself  and  entered  into  cooperation 
with  the  Southern  Baptist  Convention  (white),  to 
the  exclusion  of  the  Northern  Baptists.  After  seven 
years  moving  over  a  vast  territory  they  decided 
to  organize  a  district  convention,  and  in  the  same 


Hayes  and  Flemming  Missionary  Society.     61 

city,  just  as  their  brethren  of  the  Lott-Carey  Con- 
vention had  done  seven  years  prior.  Thus  the  Lott- 
Carey  Convention  was  fully  vindicated. 

With  the  years  the  feeling  between  the  two  Con- 
ventions was  better,  and  at  their  sixth  annual  session 
a  commission  was  appointed  by  the  Lott-Carey  Con- 
vention to  meet  the  National  Convention,  looking  to 
some  kind  of  peace  terms.  While  little  apparently 
was  accomplished,  it  did  much  to  modify  the  feelings 
of  the  Conventions  to  each  other.  Viewing  the  Lott- 
Carey  Convention  in  its  relation  to  cooperation,  and 
its  organization  at  a  time  when  the  plan  needed  a 
firm  friend ;  viewing  it  in  its  bold  stand  for  economy 
in  Foreign  Mission  work,  it  was  none  other  than  a 
creature  born  from  above,  and  its  mission  none  other 
but  a  mission  of  righteousness. 

PfiAC  TIC  ALLY  UNITED. 

Recognizing  the  change  in  the  parent  body,  and 
realizing  the  necessity  of  closer  relations  between 
the  two  great  Baptist  organizations  of  the  country, 
delegations  clothed  with  authority  to  effect  a  closer 
unity  were  sent  successively  to  the  annual  meetings 
of  the  National  Convention  in  Philadelphia,  Chica- 
go and  Memphis,  Tenn.  At  first  their  brethren  re- 
garded their  coming  with  some  suspicion,  but  when 
they  saw  the  earnestness  of  their  plea  for  unity  they 
received  them  with  open  arms ;  and  while  they  saw 
the  wisdom  of  the  continuation  of  the  district  body, 
in  spirit  and  in  kindly  interest  they  became  united. 


62  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

Rev.  Mdodana  who  had  labored  in  South  Africa  in- 
dependent to  his  brethren,  was  placed  under  the  di- 
rection of  the  Foreign  Mission  Board  of  the  National 
Convention. 

The  barriers  which  had  stood  in  the  way  of  the 
progress  of  both  Conventions  were  removed,  and  bit- 
terness, the  worst  feature  of  the  differences  which 
had  existed  for  ten  years,  ceased. 

Representatives  and  officers  of  the  one  Convention 
felt  free  to  attend  the  meetings  of  the  other.  Con- 
tributions were  sent  from  the  one  to  the  other,  and 
a  spirit  of  genuine  love  prevailed. 

North  Carolina  Baptists,  feeling  themselves 
largely  responsible  for  the  existence  of  the  Lott- 
Carey  Convention,  were  faithful  and  loyal  all  the 
way.  It  was  the  meeting  of  the  Lott-Carey  Conven- 
tion in  the  First  Baptist  Church  of  Winston-Salem, 
N.  C,  that  North  Carolina,  in  defiance  of  the  opin- 
ion of  the  others,  took  the  lead  for  the  union  which 
afterward  followed.  "First  in  war,"  when  a  prin- 
ciple was  involved,  and  "First  in  peace,"  when  op- 
position to  this  principle  was  removed.  The  Wo- 
man's Convention  of  North  Carolina,  in  its  annual 
session  at  Reidsville,  1907,  voted  the  entire  support 
to  Miss  Cora  A.  Pair,  one  of  the  young  women  of 
North  Carolina  who  made  known  her  call  to  the  mis- 
sion field  of  Africa.  In  1908  she  set  sail  for  the 
Dark  Continent  to  spend  herself  in  the  work  of  sav- 
ing the  heathen.  Three  from  among  Negro  Baptists 
of  North  Carolina,  within  its  short  history  of  twelve 


Hayes  and  Flemming  Missionary  Society.     63 

years,  were  sent  out  by  the  Lott-Carey  Convention 
besides  its  contributions  in  money.  With,  the  angel 
of  peace  and  good  will  hovering  over  the  two  Con- 
ventions, and  with  zealous-hearted  men  and  women 
on  the  home  field  and  in  the  wilds  of  Africa,  going 
forth  bearing  to  the  heathen  world  the  gospel,  great 
glory  came  both  to  the  sender  and  the  sent.  Much 
of  the  wonderful  activity  and  progress  of  the  work 
on  the  home  field  came  from  the  untiring  efforts  of 
the  President  of  the  Convention,  Dr.  C.  S.  Brown, 
of  North  Ca.olina,  and  much  from  Dr.  W.  M.  Alex- 
ander, the  Corresponding  Secretary,  of  Baltimore, 
who,  though  hindered  with  the  arduous  duties  of  a 
city  pastorate,  awakened  much  interest  throughout 
the  bounds  of  the  Convention. 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE  PLAN  OF  COOPERATION  IN  NORTH 
CAROLINA. 

The  Providence  which  had  been  manifest  in  the 
welfare  of  the  Negro  Baptists  since  their  orginization 
in  Goldsboro  in  1867,  had  something  special  in 
store  to  be  brought  to  them  in  their  annual  meeting 
at  Oxford,  N.  C,  in  1894.  A  meeting  between  the 
Northern  and  Southern  Baptists  (white)  had  been 
held  at  Fortress  Monroe  September  12th  and  13th. 
1894,  to  devise  plans  by  which  the  two  sections 
might  work  together  for  the  further  uplift  and  de- 
velopment of  the  Negro.  When  this  meeting  was 
called  there  was  much  apprehension  lest  the  effort 
should  prove  futile.  God  watching  over  the  destiny 
of  His  people  willed  it  otherwise,  and  what  the  ar- 
dent friends  of  the  race  feared  did  not  happen. 
Everything  presented  on  either  side,  instead  of  meet- 
ing with  bitter  opposition,  was  kindly  received,  and 
soon  it  was  evident  that  the  North  and  the  South, 
so  long  apart,  could  and  did  reach  an  amicable  agree- 
ment. 

Another  meeting  was  called  in  Atlanta  in  the  same 
year.  The  plan,  with  some  modifications  at  this  next 
meeting,  met  the  hearty  endorsement  of  both  sides. 
This  plan  was  submitted  to  the  colored  Convention 
at  its  meeting  at  Oxford,  N.  C,  for  ratification.  It 
was  afterward  submitted  to  the  white  Convention  at 
Greensboro.    Both  adopted  the  report  and  it  was  im- 


Plan  of  Cooperation.  65 

mediately  put  into  prosecution.  The  following  be- 
came parties  to  the  plan  for  North  Carolina :  The 
Home  Mission  Society,  New  York  City;  the  South- 
ern Baptist  Convention,  Atlanta,  Ga. ;  the  white  Con- 
vention of  North  Carolina  and  the  Educational  and 
Missionary  Convention  of  ISTorth  Carolina.  The 
work  began  at  once.  Missionaries  were  appointed  as 
follows:  Rev.  C.  S.  Brown,  General  Missionary; 
Rev.  A.  B.  Vincent,  Central  Missionary;  Eev.  P.  E. 
Maloy,  Western  Missionary ;  J.  A.  Whitted,  Eastern 
Missionary.  The  objects  of  the  plan,  as  stated,  were 
to  effect  the  strongest  possible  combination  of  talent 
and  resources  for  the  better  organization  and  more 
efficient  prosecution  of  missionary  and  educational 
work  among  the  colored  people  in  North  Carolina, 
and  the  Christian  development  of  our  Baptist  forces 
in  the  State. 

The  Relation  of  the  Coopekative  Organizations 
to  Each  Other. 

For  the  foregoing  purposes  in  the  State  of  North 
Carolina  these  organizations  shall  be  regarded  as  co- 
ordinate bodies,  and  all  work  undertaken  under  this 
plan  of  cooperation  shall  be  with  the  concurrence 
of  all  their  recognized  officers  or  Boards.  The  work 
in  the  State  shall  be  under  the  immediate  direction 
of  the  State  Convention  or  its  Executive  Board,  in 
conformity  with  this  plan  of  cooperation;  but  rep- 
resentatives of  other  cooperative  bodies  shall  have 
the  right  to  make  inquiries  concerning  the  work. 


66  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

Methods  of  Wokk. 

There  shall  be  one  general  missionary  and  not  to 
exceed  four  district  missionaries  for  the  State,  each 
of  the  latter  having  a  designated  section  for  his  field. 
The  salaries  of  these  missionaries  and  their  expenses 
shall  be  borne  as  follows:  For  the  first  year  one- 
fourth  by  each  organization;  the  second  year  two- 
fifths  by  the  State  Convention,  and  the  other  three- 
fifths  by  the  other  bodies. 

The  plan  further  outlines  the  duties  of  the  mis- 
sionaries on  the  field ;  plan  of  reports,  relation  of  the 
missionaries  to  the  cooperating  bodies  and  to  each 
other.  The  most  important  feature  of  the  plan  of 
cooperation  was  the  New  Era  Institute.  One  of 
these  meetings  was  provided  for  alternately  each  week 
throughout  the  different  districts.  A  thorough  course 
of  lectures  was  provided  on  Biblical  Theology,  Church 
History,  Christian  Missions,  Christian  Education  and 
other  subjects,  covering  a  period  of  three  years.  The 
best  talent  available,  both  colored  and  white,  was  se- 
cured to  deliver  lectures  in  these  meetings.  Another 
feature  of  the  plan  was  to  do  missionary  work  proper 
in  the  rural  and  destitute  sections  of  the  State,  and 
to  raise  money  for  the  furtherance  of  the  objects  of 
the  Convention.  For  the  twelve  years  of  cooperation 
some  of  the  ablest  men  of  the  denomination  in  the 
State  were  employed :  Rev.  C.  C.  Somerville,  D.  D. ; 
Rev.  W.  T.  H.  Woodward,  Rev.  D.  J.  Avera,  Rev. 
G.  O.  Bullock,  D.D. ;  Rev.  D.  J.  Witherspoon,  D.D. ; 
Rev.  L.  T.  Bond. 


Plan  of  Cooperation.  67 

Coopeeation  Eminently  Successful. 

The  plan  of  cooperation  provided  for  only  three 
years.  The  wisdom  of  the  plan  was  so  evident  that 
a  continuation  was  imperatively  necessary.  Through- 
out the  State  such  changes  were  effected  as  to  bring 
hope  and  cheer  from  time  to  time  to  its  promoters. 
When  cooperation  began  in  North  Carolina  the  Con- 
vention was  comparatively  weak  in  the  scope  of  its 
missionary  and  educational  operation  and  in  the  in- 
fluence exerted  even  in  its  own  ranks.  Only  one  mis- 
sionary was  employed,  and  it  was  utterly  impossible 
for  one  missionary  over  such  a  vast  territory  to  do 
the  necessary  work.  His  work  in  the  past  was  largely 
confined  to  the  central  sections  of  the  State.  Scarcely 
anything  was  done  for  ministerial  education,  and  but 
little  more  for  the  missionary  work.  The  Convention 
counted  itself  fortunate  to  realize  as  much  as  three 
hundred  dollars  for  all  purposes  per  annum.  Few 
took  part  in  deliberations.  This  condition  caused 
the  State  to  be  fully  prepared  for  a  change  of  some 
kind,  and  the  Convention  to  give  a  hearty  welcome 
as  a  promise  of  better  conditions.  When  the  plan 
was  proposed  to  the  Convention  which  met  in  its  an- 
nual session  at  Oxford,  N".  C,  in  the  fall  of  1895,  it 
was  gladly  and  almost  unanimously  accepted.  The 
churches  entered  into  it  with  heart  and  hand. 
The  Institute  Work. 

While  North  Carolina  preachers  compared  favor- 
ably with  those  of  any  other  State  when  the  work 


68  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

began,  yet  they  were  far  behind.  The  Institute  soon 
awakened  new  life  in  the  ministry  throughout  the 
State;  many  libraries  were  purchased,  schools  were 
better  attended,  even  by  the  pastors;  more  attention 
was  given  to  the  preparation  and  delivery  of  ser- 
mons, and  in  many  ways  decided  changes  were  real- 
ized as  the  direct  result  of  these  meetings  held  in  the 
different  and  destitute  sections  of  the  State.  Not 
only  was  there  an  awakening  in  the  pulpit,  but  es- 
pecially was  it  seen  and  felt  in  the  pew ;  and  as  might 
be  expected  many  changes  were  made  in  the  pastor- 
ates throughout  the  State.  Much  of  the  sentimental 
and  demonstrative  worship  gave  way  to  intelligence 
and  practical  Christianity.  As  a  natural  consequence 
a  change  in  the  churches  meant  change  in  the  associ- 
ations and  other  religious  organizations.  At  the  end 
of  the  twelve  years  of  cooperation  in  many  respects 
the  colored  Baptists  of  North  Carolina  stood  in  the 
foremost  ranks  of  Baptists,  certainly  in  the  manage- 
ment and  deportment  of  their  deliberative  bodies. 
Such  things  as  "points  of  order"  and  needless  dis- 
cussion, rows  and  confusions  were  things  of  the  past. 
Said  a  gentleman  visiting  our  State  Convention, 
"When  are  you  going  to  fuss  ?"  The  reply  was,  "We 
are  not  going  to  fuss."  North  Carolina  Baptists 
had  been  taught  that  it  was  not  dignified,  it  was  not 
religious  to  "fuss,"  and  this  training  through  which 
they  had  so  recently  passed  had  much  to  do  with  such 
a  conclusion. 


Plan  of  Cooperation.  69 

Finances. 

The  largest  collection  ever  reported  at  any  session 
of  the  Convention  previous  to  the  adoption  of  coopera- 
tion was  three  hundred  dollars,  and  when  this  report 
was  made  by  the  Treasurer  the  Convention  united 
in  singing  "Praise  God,  from  whom  all  blessings 
flow." 

Immediately  after  the  new  plan  was  operated  a 
decided  change  was  manifest  and  for  each  one  hun- 
dred dollars  a  thousand  dollars  was  realized.  At  one 
session  eight  thousand  dollars  was  reported  as  an 
annual  contribution  for  all  objects.  The  change  in 
the  amount  of  finance  realized  was  by  no  means  con- 
fined to  the  Convention.  New  life  and  inspiration 
was  infused  in  churches  and  other  bodies  throughout 
the  State;  increased  collections  and  hence  a  higher 
financial  mark  was  the  cry  from  the  mountains  to 
the  seashore.  Better  churches  were  erected,  more 
work  of  charity  undertaken,  and  the  missionary  had 
a  kindly  welcome  in  sections  where  the  work  previous 
to  this  time  had  been  hindered. 

Missionary  Feature. 
Shaw  University,  until  then  only  partly  filled,  was 
filled  to  overflowing,  and  the  twelve  years  of  coopera- 
tion closed  as  should  be  with  the  beginning  of  a  de- 
termined effort  to  provide  facilities  for  still  larger 
numbers.  While  all  that  might  have  been  done  with 
regard  to  missions  was  not  done,  owing  to  the  re- 
quirements of  the  plan  for  an  increased  appropriation 


70  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

from  the  Convention  with  the  increase  of  years,  yet 
sections  of  the  State  were  reached  which  had  not  been 
reached  before,  and  sections  contributed  to  the  Con- 
vention which  hardly  knew  before  that  there  was  a 
Convention.  While  twelve  years  of  the  work  marked 
but  a  beginning,  yet  those  twelve  years  will  always 
be  regarded  by  loyal  Baptists  as  a  Godsend  from  the 
white  Baptists  and  at  an  opportune  moment.  Not  only 
did  the  State  missionaries  get  a  hearing  in  sections 
before  unknown,  but  many  associations  of  these  sec- 
tions had  missionaries  of  their  own,  and  through  them 
quite  an  interest  was  awakened.  In  some  instances 
these  missionaries  united  with  the  State  missionaries, 
and  thereby  added  new  strength.  The  Convention 
of  the  State  was  encouraged  to  appoint  local  mission- 
aries. At  one  time  there  were  four  such  mission- 
aries laboring  side  by  side  with  the  State  mis- 
sionaries. Associations  came  into  the  Convention 
with  men  from  their  fields  recommended  for  their 
special  section.  This  was  not  only  added  strength  to 
the  Convention  but  renewed  interest  to  the  associa- 
tion. This  work  added  much  support  to  the  endeav- 
ors of  the  women  through  their  State  organization  to 
reach  the  people.  For  a  long  time  it  was  extremely 
difficult  for  the  women  to  do  any  work,  but  with  the 
increase  of  this  missionary  spirit  they  were  enabled 
to  reach  sections  which  they  dare  not  undertake  to 
reach  before  the  infusion  of  this  mission  spirit. 
Local  Missions,  State  Missions,  Foreign  Missions  was 
the  cry  throughout  North  Carolina. 


Plan  of  Cooperation*.  71 

Cooperative  Bodies. 

Much  praise  is  due  the  white  brethren,  North  and 
South,  for  this  movement.  They  entered  the  work 
with  a  will  and  at  each  step  their  instruction  and  ad- 
vice have  done  much  to  make  it  what  it  was.  Evi- 
dently it  was  intended  for  the  emergency.  It  came 
at  a  time  when  political  upheavals,  which  the  colored 
people  regarded  as  alarming,  prevailed  throughout  the 
South.  The  only  star  of  hope,  as  the  colored  Bap- 
tists of  North  Carolina  saw  it,  was  held  out  in  the 
work  of  cooperation.  The  white  brethren  brought 
in  touch  with  the  leaders  of  the  new  movement  offered 
the  best  advice  they  could  under  the  circumstances. 
for  no  one  could  tell  the  outcome ;  and  the  leaders 
in  turn  gave  this  kindly  advice  to  give  comfort  and 
cheer  to  their  depressed  brethren  throughout  the 
State.  One  of  the  white  brethren  was  heard  to  say. 
"It  was  the  leaders  in  cooperation  that  calmed  the 
troubled  waters."  To  some  extent  this  may  be  at- 
tributing too  much  to  cooperation,  but  certainly,  com- 
ing at  such  a  time  and  bringing  the  leaders  of  these 
two  strongest  church  forces  face  to  face  from  time 
to  time  in  these  meetings  effecting  the  best  under- 
standing for  such  a  period,  must  have  had  quite  a 
wholesome  bearing  upon  both  races. 

While  much  credit  and  lasting  gratitude  is  due 
the  brethren  of  the  North,  much  was  due  the  South. 
The  North  contributed  their  pro  rata  in  money;  the 
South  not  only  gave  money  but  their  time  and  talent, 


72  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

and,  as  we  have  already  intimated,  advice  at  a  time 
when  it  was  imperatively  necessary.  It  was  hard 
to  the  Negroes  of  North  Carolina,  as  they  saw  it, 
when  the  right  of  franchise  was  taken  from  the  vast 
majority.  The  presence  of  the  white  brother  at  such 
a  time  relieved  the  situation  and  helped  to  remove 
the  opinion  so  prevalent  that  the  white  people  of 
North  Carolina  had  no  care  for  the  Negro. 

And,  too,  be  it  said,  those  who  came  to  speak  on 
such  occasions  were  armed  with  the  truth  and  so 
fully  prepared  they  gave  splendid  light  and  informa- 
tion on  the  subjects  laid  down  in  the  plan  for  the 
Institutes.  Nothing  of  the  past  so  enabled  the  white 
brethren  to  understand  the  colored  brother,  and  noth- 
ing had  done  so  much  to  bring  the  colored  brother 
in  closer  touch  and  interest  with  his  white  brother. 
They  were  brought  not  only  to  labor  together,  but  the 
one  to  pray  for  the  advancement  of  the  other  in  the 
blessed  cause  of  the  Redeemer's  Kingdom. 

The  Tupper  Memorial  Building  and  the  Estey 
Seminary  Annex. 

A  splendid  test  of  the  changes  which  had  come 
over  the  colored  Baptists  of  North  Carolina  came  to 
them  just  at  the  close  of  ten  years  of  the  plan  of 
cooperation.  The  offer  of  a  conditional  gift  was  made 
to  the  Trustees  of  Shaw  University  of  thirteen  thou- 
sand dollars  for  an  industrial  building  to  the  mem- 
ory of  Dr.  H.  M.  Tupper,  founder  of  the  University, 
and  an  annex  to  Estey  Seminary,  provided  the  col- 


Plan  of  Cooperation.  73 

ored  people  of  the  State  would  raise  five  thousand 
dollars  additional. 

The  time-limit  for  the  raising  of  this  amount  was 
two  years.  The  Convention  in  its  annual  session  at 
Kinston  accepted  the  proposition,  and  the  Corre- 
sponding Secretary  of  the  Convention  was  appointed 
agent  to  raise  the  five  thousand  dollars.  To  meet 
these  conditions  not  only  must  the  five  thousand  be 
raised  but  an  additional  thousand,  making  six  thou- 
sand in  all  to  be  raised.  Responses  were  generous. 
Eighteen  hundred  dollars  of  the  amount  were  pledged 
on  the  floor  of  the  Convention,  and  wherever  the 
agent  appeared  the  people  were  ready  to  give.  Much 
to  the  credit  of  the  uneducated  people  their  responses 
surpassed  many  who  had  the  advantages  of  an  edu- 
cation. With  the  expiration  of  the  two  years  the 
amount  was  in  hand,  and  the  thirteen  thousand  se- 
cured. The  building  stands  there  as  a  mark  of  the 
respect  and  love  of  the  colored  people  of  North  Caro- 
lina to  the  great  and  good  man  who  laid  the  founda- 
tion and  paved  the  way  for  the  uplift  of  the  Negro 
youth  not  only  in  North  Carolina  but  throughout 
the  Southland.  While  much  of  the  success  of  the 
undertaking  was  due  to  the  esteem  in  which  Dr.  Tup- 
per  was  held  by  the  colored  people  of  North  Caro- 
lina, much  depended  upon  the  improved  condition 
of  the  people  brought  about  through  the  developments 
of  cooperation. 

To  have  undertaken  such  a  task  previous  to  the 
new  movement  would  have  T)een  a  useless  task,  es- 


74  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

pecially  in  so  short  a  time,  but  the  twelve  years  of 
giving  had  taught  the  people  to  give,  and  when  called 
upon  it  was  comparatively  easy  to  meet  the  require- 
ments of  the  gift.  Lasting  gratitude  and  praise  to 
all  who  brought  cooperation  to  North  Carolina. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

ASSOCIATIONS. 

Gray's  Creek  Association. 

The  Gray's  Creek  Association  was  organized  soon 
after  the  war  in  Bladen  County,  with  only  three 
churches  in  the  organization :  New  Hope,  New  Light 
and  Gray's  Creek.  There  were  present  in  the  or- 
ganization Elders  John  Croslin,  J.  M.  Whitted,  Sam- 
uel Boon,  assisted  by  Elders  James  Register,  James 
Toler.  Five  associations  have  been  formed  out  of 
the  Gray's  Creek:  The  Lumber  River,  the  Union, 
the  Lake  Waccamaw,  the  Hammond's  Creek  and  the 
Kinston  Lake.  Elders  J.  Croslin,  J.  M.  Whitted. 
S.  Boon,  S.  H.  McKoy,  James  Bright,  John  Marley, 
Mitchell  Morrison,  R.  Johnson,  T.  Cain,  D.  Graham, 
C.  R.  Baldwin,  J.  A.  Spaulding,  H.  Gore,  1ST.  Robe- 
son, B.  W.  Williams,  A.  Thompson,  E.  Thompson. 
H.  S.  McNeill,  N.  B.  Dunham,  Gilbert  Monroe,  L. 
Hodge  S.  Chestnut.  The  progress  of  the  Gray's 
Creek  Association  has  been  gradual.  It  has  done 
some  work  in  the  direction  of  missions  and  educa- 
tion, and  its  hopes  like  many  others  are  bright. 

The  Ebenezer  Association. 

The  Ebenezer  Association  was  organized  in  the 
year  1890  in  the  Ebenezer  Baptist  Church,  Cleveland 
County.  There  were  thirteen  churches  in  the  or- 
ganization.    Rev.  A.  Ellis  was  the  first  Moderator; 


76  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

Rev.  W.  A.  Roberts,  Secretary;  Brother  B.  Gingles, 
Treasurer.  Like  other  associations  this  organization 
has  fostered  Home  and  Foreign  Missions,  helped 
weak  churches  and  assisted  in  the  cause  of  education, 
especially  in  that  section  of  North  Carolina. 

The  Yadkin  Baptist  Association. 

The  Yadkin  Association  was  organized  in  the 
Thomasville  Baptist  Church  September  17,  1874. 
Rev.  H.  Cowan,  C.  Ellis  and  W.  Leak  were  in  the 
organization.  The  following  churches  composed  the 
Association:  Pleasant  Hill,  Pee  Dee,  Thomasville. 
Red  Hill,  Macedonia,  Saron,  Mt.  Pleasant,  Snuggs' 
Grove  Mt.  Vernon,  Leak's  Chapel,  Olive  Grove,  Gar- 
ris  Grove,  Moore's  Grove,  Hamar's  Grove,  Liberty 
Hill,  Troy-Norwood,  Wadesboro. 

The  ministers  of  this  Association  are  Elders  W. 
Leak,  B.  R.  Richardson,  M.  Ingram,  H.  G.  Hyatt, 
I.  M.  Flake,  K.  W.  Wall,  Alfred  Reed,  S.  D.  Davis, 
Levi  Ingram,  S.  A.  Dunlap,  P.  J.  Ewing.  The  mem- 
bership in  1906  was  nine  hundred.  The  church  prop- 
erty amounted  to  five  thousand  two  hundred  dollars. 
Altogether  there  were  raised  by  the  Association  three 
thousand  six  hundred  dollars,  which  was  used  in  the 
cause  of  missions,  education  and  aged  ministers. 

The  Pee  Dee  Union  Association. 

The  Pee  Dee  Union  Association  was  organized 
Thursday  before  the  third  Sunday  in  October,  1899. 
by  Revs.  E.  W.  Andrews,  W.  H.  Diggs,  G.  C.  Bow- 


Associations.  77 

den,  J.  E.  Ellerbee  and  F.  M.  McCall,  at  Saron  Bap- 
tist Church.  The  following  churches  compose  this 
Association:  Pleasant  Grove,  Providence,  Mt.  Mo- 
riah,  Belford,  Diamond  Grove,  Friendship  and  Mt. 
Olive.  The  Association  had  a  membership  of  seven 
hundred  in  1906 ;  church  property  to  the  amount  of 
a  thousand  dollars.  It  had,  besides  its  usual  expenses, 
contributed  regularly  to  Home  and  Foreign  Mis- 
sions. 

The  Shiloh  Baptist    Association     (West). 

The  Shiloh  Baptist  Association  northwest  of  Char- 
lotte, E".  C,  was  organized  at  the  Washington 
Church,  near  Waco,  K  C,  1867.  Kev.  Samuel  Fox, 
of  Waco,  was  the  principal  mover  in  the  organiza- 
tion. At  one  time  this  Association  formed  a  part 
of  the  Mecklenburg  Association,  and  the  two  re- 
mained together  about  two  years.  Afterward  there 
was  a  separation — the  one  assuming  the  name  of  the 
Ebenezer,  while  the  other  retained  the  name  of  Shi- 
loh. Since  that  time  the  Association  has  developed  the 
following  membership :  Mt,  Sinai,  Salem,  Gold  Hill, 
Bethel,  Mt.  Vernon,  Fancy  Hill,  Springfield,  Smith- 
field,  Mt.  Carmel,  Dallas,  Galilee,  Mt.  Moriah,  Mt. 
Olive,  Providence,  St.  Philips,  Woodford  Chapel. 
Providence,  Maiden.  It  had  a  membership  of  eight 
hundred  and  thirty-one  in  1906. 

High  Point  Missionary  Baptist  Association. 

The  High  Point  Missionary  Baptist  Association 
was  organized  at  High  Point,  N".  C,  the  second  week 


78  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

in  August,  1891.  Revs.  Anthony  Wilborn,  S. 
Thomas,  F.  R.  Howell,  W.  D.  Haden  and  others  com- 
posed the  organization.  It  took  its  name  from  the 
name  of  the  town  where  the  first  meeting  was  held. 
This  Association  came  out  from  the  Rowan,  and  is 
composed  of  churches  in  the  counties  of  Guilford, 
Alamance,  Randolph,  Davidson  and  Orange.  Con- 
sidering the  Association  to  be  one  of  the  small  asso- 
ciations and  composed  of  small  churches,  no  associa- 
tion in  the  State  is  more  loyal  to  the  work  of  the 
Convention  than  the  High  Point  Association.  Since 
its  organization  until  1906  eight  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars  had  been  raised.  This  amount  was  used  in 
the  support  of  missions,  Home  and  Foreign,  minis- 
terial education,  the  Orphan  Asylum  and  church  ex- 
tension. The  following  churches  compose  the  Asso- 
ciation: Elm  Grove,  Locust  Grove,  Jones,  Gibson- 
ville,  New  Light,  Mt.  Pisgah,  Rocky  Springs,  Lati- 
cure,  Friendship,  St.  John,  Graham,  Locust  Grove 
(Alamance),  Cross  Roads,  Main  St.,  Hillsboro,  Aus- 
tin Grove,  Mechanic,  Asheboro,  Randleman,  Trinity. 
Thomasville,  Mt.  Pleasant,  Liberty  Grove,  Rock 
Grove. 

The  following  are  the  ordained  ministers :  A.  Wil- 
born, S.  Thomas,  E.  Graves,  C.  N.  Brown,  F.  A. 
Long,  J.  W.  Turner,  C.  Hughes,  S.  Troxler,  G.  W. 
Austin,  W.  W.  Price,  B.  F.  Bobbins,  W.  E.  Graves, 
Grimes.  The  High  Point  Association  has  a  member 
ship  of  twelve  hundred  and  fifty,  and  houses  of  wor- 
ship valued  at  five  thousand  dollars. 


Associations.  79 

The  Lake  Waccamaw  Missionary  Baptist  Asso- 
ciation. 

This  Association  was  organized  at  the  Baptist 
church  near  Lake  Waccamaw,  and  on  which  account 
it  takes  its  name.  The  organization  dates  from  the 
year  1884.  Five  churches  came  out  from  the  Gray's 
Creek  Association  and  formed  the  Lake  Waccamaw: 
Little  Wheel  of  Hope,  Whiteville,  White  Pond,  Sandy 
Plain  and  Welch's  Creek,  with  the  following  minis- 
ters :  D.  Graham,  I.  Cain,  M.  Morrison,  R.  John- 
son, C.  P.  Baldwin,  J.  A.  Spaulding  and  D.  J. 
Moore. 

About  one  thousand  dollars  had  been  raised  since 
its  organization,  1884 — 1906.  The  Association  as- 
sisted the  Thompson  Institute  at  Lumberton,  HJme 
and  Foreign  Missions  and  ministerial  education.  St. 
John  and  St.  James  Churches  were  added  to  the  orig- 
inal number.  The  property  of  these  seven  churches 
amounted  to  three  thousand  five  hundred  dollars. 
Revs.  P.  J.  McKoy,  J.  S.  McKoy,  T.  H.  Crawford 
and  A.  S.  Mitchell  have  been  added  to  the  list  of 
ministers. 

The  Xeuse  River  Baptist  Association. 

The  Xeuse  River  Baptist  Association  was  organ- 
ized in  the  town  of  Halifax,  1ST.  C,  in  1866.  Rev. 
Ananias  Buck,  Benjamin  Moore,  John  Washington 
and  C.  Johnson  were  in  the  organization.  The 
churches  of  Xorthampton,  Halifax,  Edgecombe  and 
a  part  of  Warren  formed  this  Association.     The  or- 


80  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

ganization  soon  developed  into  a  large  body  of 
churches.  While  the  Association  has  boasted  of  large 
numbers,  twenty  thousand  members  in  the  different 
churches,  comparatively  little  was  given  to  missions 
outside  its  bounds,  and  but  little  educational  work 
accomplished.  A  feeble  effort  was  made  to  establish 
a  school  at  Weldon,  1ST.  C.  A  site  was  purchased 
with  a  small  building,  and  for  two  years  a  school 
was  carried  on,  but  the  building  burned  and  a  tract 
of  land  was  purchased  outside  the  town  of  Weldon. 
As  in  all  the  other  associations  of  North  Carolina 
there  were  some  splendid  men  and  leaders,  but  some- 
how they  exerted  but  little  influence,  and  hence  the 
small  amount  of  good  accomplished  either  for  mis- 
sions or  education.  In  1908  there  were  some  addi- 
tions to  its  forces  which  gave  promise  of  better  re- 
sults. With  such  churches  as  compose  the  Associa- 
tion there  was  every  opportunity  for  splendid  re- 
sults. 

The  Beuxah  Association. 

This  Association  was  formed  in  part  out  of  the 
ISTeuse  River  Association  and  the  West  Roanoke  As- 
sociation. All  the  churches  of  the  West  Roanoke 
Association  in  Northampton  County  and  a  number 
from  the  ISTeuse  River  in  1903  agreed  and  formed 
the  Beulah  Association.  Rev.  W.  T.  H.  Woodward, 
of  Littleton,  1ST.  C,  was  the  first  Moderator.  From 
its  incipiency  the  Beulah  Association  was  a  part  of 
and  loyal  to  the  State  Convention.     Its  moral  and 


Associations.  81 

financial  support  was  given  to  the  Rich  Square  Acad- 
emy at  Rich  Square,  N.  C,  and  the  Garysburg  High 
School,  at  Garysburg,  IsT.  C.  The  Beulah  Associa- 
tion was  greatly  hindered  in  its  infancy  on  account 
of  the  indisposition  of  its  Moderator,  who  was 
stricken  down  with  paralysis. 

The  Old  Eastern  Missionary  Baptist  Associa- 
tion. 

The  Old  Eastern  Missionary  Baptist  Association 
was  organized  at  James  City  in  the  church  then 
known  as  "Slab  Chapel,"  but  since  the  name  has 
been  changed  to  Pilgrim  Chapel.  Its  first  Moderator 
was  Rev.  Samuel  Peterson,  with  Ered  Long  as  Secre- 
tary. Hull  Grimes,  1ST  at  Benton,  Elias  Brown,  Henry 
Simmons,  Emanuel  Reynolds,  Thad  Wilson,  Thos. 
Erkett  and  John  Washington  were  in  the  organiza- 
tion which  took  place  in  the  fall  of  1865. 

In  1866  a  number  of  the  members  of  the  Old  East- 
ern Association  obtained  letters  and  organized  an  as- 
sociation in  Halifax  County,  the  Neuse  River  Asso- 
ciation. Later  on  the  New  Bern  Eastern  Association 
was  formed  from  the  Old  Eastern  in  the  same  way. 

In  the  early  history  of  this  Association  some  of 
the  delegates  and  preachers  walked  seventy-five  and 
even  a  hundred  miles  to  attend  the  annual  sessions. 
In  1899  the  Association  numbered  sixty-five 
churches,  with  church  property  amounting  to  twenty 
thousand  dollars.     In  1900  a  site  was  purchased  at 


82  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

Greenville,  in  Pitt  County,  for  the  purpose  of  carry- 
ing on  an  associational  school.  In  1904  Rev.  W.  A. 
Taylor,  pastor  of  the  church  at  Greenville,  was  elected 
first  principal.  Although  the  site  was  adjoining  the 
graded  school,  which  gave  many  disadvantages  to 
its  success,  the  graded  school  requiring  no  tuition,  and 
the  Tar  River  Institute  having  to  require  a  tuition 
fee.  Despite  this  the  Institute  was  a  decided  suc- 
cess. For  many  years  Rev.  T.  S.  Evans  was  the  Mod- 
erator of  this  Association.  Much  of  the  success  of 
the  Association  was  due  to  the  untiring  efforts  of 
Rev.  Evans. 

The  Brunswick  Atlantic  Association. 

The  Brunswick  Atlantic  Association  was  organ- 
ized December  5,  1896,  in  Pleasant  View  Baptist 
Church,  Brunswick  County.  There  were  hut  five 
churches  in  the  organization.  In  1908  there  were 
thirteen.  Rev.  J.  H.  Rhoe  and  Rev.  J.  S.  Gore  were 
with  the  Association  in  its  origin,  and  for  many 
years  afterward  were  the  leaders.  There  were  eight 
ordained  preachers  and  twelve  hundred  members. 
There  was  a  Sunday  School  Convention  connected 
with  this  Association  organized  a  year  previous  at 
Whiteville,  1ST.  C.  Rev.  D.  C.  Gore,  G.  A.  Best  and 
William  Davis  were  the  leading  forces  of  the  Sun- 
day School  Convention  for  several  years.  There 
were  five  hundred  members  represented  in  the 
schools  composing  the  Convention. 


Associations.  83 

The  New  Bern  Eastern  Missionary  Baptist  As- 
sociation. 

This  Association,  although  it  soon  grew  to  be  as 
large  as  the  parent  Association,  came  out  from  the 
Old  Eastern  Association.  The  first  session  of  this 
body  was  held  in  the  Cedar  Grove  Baptist  Church. 
New  Bern,  N.  C,  1875. 

There  were  included  in  this  Association  the 
churches  in  the  counties  of  Pamlico,  Beaufort,  Hyde, 
Jones  and  Craven.  There  were  as  many  as  fifty  and 
sometimes  a  larger  number  of  churches  represented 
in  the  annual  meetings  of  this  Association.  In  the 
early  history  of  this  vast  body,  representing  twenty- 
five  thousand  in  membership,  with  much  ignorance 
predominant,  bitter  strife  was  often  precipitated,  and 
for  a  time  it  looked  as  if  the  Baptist  cause  through- 
out that  section  was  hopeless.  Possibly  no  forces 
did  more  to  bring  the  change  than  the  saintly  women 
of  New  Bern  and  James  City,  Misses  Waugh  and 
Williams,  sent  as  missionaries  representing  the  Wo- 
men's Home  Mission  Society  of  Chicago.  The  toils, 
and  even  sufferings  at  times,  and  the  splendid  work 
of  these  godly  women  will  never  be  known  until  the 
deeds  of  men  shall  be  read  in  the  great  judgment. 

The  greatest  hindrances  to  their  labors  as  they 
have  often  related  came  from  the  leaders  of  this  As- 
sociation, the  ministers  of  that  vast  section.  Like 
many  others  of  our  associations  in  the  State  time 
brought  many  changes,  and  much  of  the  contention, 


84  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

strife  arid  superstition  of  that  section  passed  away 
as  time  advanced  and  these  old  leaders  passed  away. 
As  evidence  of  their  prejudice  it  was  related  upon 
good  authority  that  this  Association  held  one  of  its 
annual  sessions  in  New  Bern  in  one  of  the  churches, 
while  the  State  Convention  of  North  Carolina  was  in 
another  of  the  churches  of  the  same  city,  and  no  at- 
tention whatever  was  paid  by  the  Association  to  the 
great  State  body.  We  were  a  witness  to  the  fact  that 
one  of  the  leaders  of  this  body  went  around  the 
streets  of  New  Bern  with  a  petition  trying  to  get 
the  other  ministers  to  sign  it,  pledging  not  to  attend 
a  meeting  of  the  New  Era  Institute,  although  the 
President  of  the  State  Convention,  the  President  of 
Shaw  University  and  the  Corresponding  Secretary 
of  the  American  Baptist  Home  Mission  Society  were 
in  attendance. 

The  brethren  fell  in  line,  however;  the  spirit  to 
educate  and  go  forward  took  hold  of  them;  a  school 
was  erected  in  Brownsville,  just  across  the  river  from 
New  Bern  and  beyond  James  City,  and  like  other 
sections  of  the  State,  even  in  the  life  of  Misses  Waugh 
and  Williams,  could  the  good  seed  they  had  so  faith- 
fully sown  be  seen  to  take  root,  spring  up  and  begin 
the  bearing  of  fruit  to  God's  glory. 

The  Oaky  Grove  and  Trent  River  Association. 

The  Oaky  Grove  and  Trent  River  Association 
came  out  from  the  New  Bern  Eastern,  and  was  or- 
ganized in  1882.    But  few  churches  at  first,  the  num- 


Associations.  85 

ber  soon  grew  to  twenty-two  churches.  Their  boun- 
daries lay  west  of  the  New  Bern  Eastern,  and  with 
the  educational  fever  felt  over  the  State  they  began 
the  establishment  of  a  school  at  Jacksonville,  N".  C. 
For  a  number  of  years  after  its  establishment  Revs. 
W.  H.  Moore  and  Everett  were  the  leaders.  With 
few  churches  and  small  revenues  the  school  grew 
slowly  but  surely,  and  with  it  the  Association. 

The  Bear  Creek  Association. 

The  Bear  Creek  Association  was  organized  in  1872 
by  Rev.  R.  H.  Harper,  who  was  in  the  organization 
of  the  Educational  and  Missionary  Convention,  to- 
gether with  Rev.  W.  H.  Croom,  Rev.  J.  C.  Carroll. 
Rev.  I.  N".  Patterson.  Rev.  A.  A.  Smith,  the  Secre- 
tary for  many  years,  did  much  to  strengthen  the  cause 
of  the  Bear  Creek  Association.  Rev.  W.  L.  Hood 
was  for  many  years  the  Moderator.  In  1906  the 
records  contained  a  list  of  thirty-four  churches,  a 
membership  of  eighteen  hundred  and  ninety-seven, 
and  church  property  valued  to  the  amount  of  twelve 
thousand  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  dollars.  The 
Association  was  always  generous  to  worthy  objects, 
as  was  shown  from  their  annual  reports. 

The  Middle  Association. 

The  Middle  Association  came  out  from  the  Shiloh 
Baptist  Association,  and  was  organized  1891.  The 
Shiloh  Association  had  purchased  a  school  site  at 
Warrenton,  N.  C,  and  each  of  the  churches  of  the 


86  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

body  was  assessed  to  meet  the  annual  payments  on 
the  school  property.  Many  of  the  churches  remote 
from  Warrenton  did  not  feel  the  same  interest  in 
the  school  project  and  complained  that  they  were 
called  upon  to  meet  the  assessments,  and  hence  de- 
cided to  withdraw. 

Eleven  churches  signed  a  call  for  letters  which 
the  mother  association  granted,  and  a  meeting  was 
held  at  Shiloh  Baptist  Church,  Kittrell,  1ST.  C-,  and 
an  organization  effected  under  the  name  of  the  Mid- 
dle Association.  Dr.  W.  A.  Patillo  was  the  leader 
in  this  movement.  Dr.  R.  I.  Walden,  of  Henderson. 
1ST.  C,  was  elected  the  first  President;  Rev.  A.  B.  J. 
Wyche,  Secretary.  Rev.  T.  H.  Burwell  and  Rev.  T. 
B.  Hicks  were  also  leaders  in  the  organization.  This 
Association  had  no  special  project  on  hand,  but  was 
loyal  especially  to  Foreign  Missions,  ministerial  edu- 
cation and  to  the  interests  of  the  State  Convention. 

The  Middle  District  Association. 

Soon  after  the  close  of  the  war  in  the  Providence 
of  God  there  came  to  the  city  of  Wilmington  Rev. 
Wm.  H.  Banks  from  the  State  of  Virginia.  For  a 
time  he  was  the  pastor  of  the  First  Baptist  Church 
of  Wilmington,  N.  C.  For  some  cause  a  division  oc- 
curred and  the  pastor,  together  with  a  number  of 
the  members  withdrew,  and  organized  the  Ebenezer 
Church.  Rev.  Wm.  A.  Greene  united  with  Rev. 
Banks  and  they  began  the  organization  of  churches 
in  New  Hanover,  Duplin,    Sampson    and    Bladen 


Associations.  87 

Counties ;  ordaining  men  to  the  gospel  and  establish- 
ing the  work  generally.  Ransom  Royals,  Richard 
Keithron,  Win.  Devane  were  among  the  men  and 
were  lifelong  friends  of  the  Association  which  was 
afterwards  formed.  In  August,  1872,  a  meeting 
was  called  of  the  churches  and  pastors  at  the  Ebe- 
nezer  Baptist  Church,  Wilmington,  and  the  Middle 
District  Association  was  organized.  There  were 
eighteen  churches  in  the  organization.  Rev.  Wm. 
Devane,  Henry  Andrews  and  E.  J.  Bell  were  ap- 
pointed successively  as  missionaries  to  labor  in  the 
counties  of  Brunswick,  Pender,  New  Hanover,  Samp- 
son and  Duplin  to  organize  new  churches,  strengthen 
those  already  organized,  and  to  build  up  the  work  in 
general.  The  money  raised  in  the  first  few  years 
of  the  organization  was  devoted  to  these  churches, 
especially  the  weaker  churches. 

The  Burgaw  High  School  was  the  product  of  the 
Middle  District  Association.  This  school  proved  a 
decided  blessing  in  many  respects  to  the  Association 
and  to  that  section  of  North  Carolina. 

The  Mountain  and  Catawba  Association, 

The  Mountain  and  Catawba  Association  was  or- 
ganized at  Claremont,  "N.  C,  in  the  year  1875.  The 
following  ministers  were  present  in  the  organization : 
Rev.  B.  F.  Watts,  Berry  Lyons  and  Brother  D. 
Lynch.  The  object  set  forth  in  the  formation  of 
the  Association  was  education  and  missions.  The 
Baptists  in  that  section  of  the  State  were  not  so  nu- 


88  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

merous  as  in  other  sections,  and  hence  the  Associa- 
tion was  necessarily  composed  of  fewer  churches  and 
leaders.  The  organization  finally  gained  enough  to 
swell  the  number  to  twenty-two,  and  with  the  in- 
crease of  churches  there  was  an  increase  of  men.  Rev. 
W.  S.  Dacons  came  to  the  Association  at  an  oppor- 
tune time.  Like  many  other  associations  throughout 
the  State  in  1905  the  Association,  together  with  the 
Convention,  which  had  been  organized  five  years 
prior,  decided  to  establish  a  school  at  Claremont,  N. 
C,  and  Rev.,  Dacons,  of  Statesville,  N".  C,  was  ap- 
pointed to  take  charge  of  the  school.  The  Mountain 
and  Catawba,  like  most  of  the  mountain  associations, 
for  some  cause  did  not  unite  with  the  State  Conven- 
tion for  many  years,  but  accomplished  a  splendid 
work  in  their  immediate  section. 

The  Gold  Hill,  Association. 

The  Gold  Hill  Association  embraced  the  churches 
west  of  the  Ebenezer  Association,  and  in  1908  had 
on  its  roll  fifteen  churches.  Like  many  other  asso- 
ciations for  many  years  after  its  organization  its 
greatest  need  was  a  sufficient  number  of  able  men 
to  properly  conduct  its  affairs;  yet  despite  its  hin- 
drances its  growth  was  seen  from  year  to  year.  To- 
gether with  the  Ebenezer  Association  the  Gold  Hill 
gave  its  support  to  the  Western  Union  Academy  at 
Rutherfordton,  1ST.  C.  The  Western  Union  Academy, 
first  under  the  leadership  of  Rev.  W.  T.  Askew,  and 
afterward  Rev.  R.  B.  Watts,  gave  much  strength  di- 


Associations.  89 

rectly  and  indirectly  to  the  Association.  For  many 
years  Rev.  R.  A.  Hemphill  was  its  Moderator.  With 
each  year  of  its  growth,  together  with  other  associa- 
tions of  the  mountain  section,  the  tendency  was  to- 
ward intelligence  and  general  denominational  unity. 

The  McDowell  Association. 

This  Association  lies  north  of  the  Gold  Hill.  The 
churches  of  this  Association  are  still  fewer  and 
smaller  than  the  Gold  Hill;  its  leaders  fewer  and 
it  has  no  special  object  for  contribution.  Up  to  1908 
but  little  inspiration  had  been  awakened  in  the  Mc- 
Dowell, but  it  was  hoped  with  the  passing  years  this 
condition  would  be  changed,  or  the  Association  would 
see  the  wisdom  of  uniting  with  some  stronger  body 

Kenansville  Eastern  Association. 

The  name  of  the  Kenansville  Eastern  Association 
originated  with  the  place  of  its  first  meeting,  which 
was  Kenansville,  N".  C,  November,  1870;  and,  too. 
there  was  a  white  association  by  the  same  name.  The 
following  ministers  were  present  in  the  organization : 
T.  Parker,  A.  B.  Williams,  B.  B.  Spicer,  D.  T.  Best 
and  John  F.  Hill.  The  first  Moderator  was  Rev.  A. 
B.  Williams.  The  following  churches  were  repre- 
sented and  composed  the  first  meeting:  First  Bap- 
tist Kenansville,  Six  Run,  First  Baptist  Clinton. 
Warsaw  and  Hill's  Chapel.  The  largest  number  of 
churches  afterward  represented  at  any  annual  session 
was  forty-eight.     The  two  leading  spirits  of  the  As- 


90  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

sociation  for  many  years  were  Rev.  Thomas  Parker, 
who  was  Moderator  for  twenty-four  years,  and  Hon. 
A.  R.  Middleton,  Secretary  for  thirty  years.  Rev. 
J.  O.  Hayes,  for  years  missionary  to  Africa,  came 
out  of  the  Kenansville  Eastern  Association.  The 
school  at  Faison,  "N.  C,  became  one  of  the  objects 
of  the  Association,  and  the  Sunday  School  Conven- 
tion of  the  same  name.  Foreign  Missions  came  in 
for  a  great  share  of  the  Association's  interest,  and 
especially  since  one  of  its  men  was  on  the  foreign 
field.  The  Association  was  represented  regularly  in 
the  Convention. 

The  West  Union  Association. 
The  West  Union  Association  came  out  from  the 
Kenansville  Eastern  in  the  year  1904,  soon  after  the 
old  association  had  held  its  annual  meeting  in  Wil- 
mington, 1ST.  C.  Like  the  mother  association  the  West 
Union  began  with  five  churches,  but  it  began  at  once 
to  increase  in  numbers,  and  as  it  had  for  its  object 
the  Union  Academy  at  Clinton  it  began  at  once  to 
assert  its  usefulness  and  development.  Soon  the  Eirst 
Church  at  Clinton,  which  was  in  the  organization 
of  the  Kenansville  Eastern,  united  with  the  West 
Union.  Other  churches,  especially  from  Sampson 
County,  fell  in  line,  which  greatly  strengthened  the 
body  both  in  size  and  in  finance.  Rev.  A.  A.  Smith, 
pastor  of  the  First  Church  of  Clinton,  was  the  Mod- 
erator. Rev.  C.  T.  Underwood  was  quite  active  in 
the  organization,  and  was  greatly  helpful  to  its  ex- 
istence. 


Associations.  91 

The  Wake  Baptist  Association. 

The  Wake  Baptist  Association  was  organized  with 
Rev.  George  W.  Harris  Moderator,  G.  W.  Freeman, 
Clerk. 

"The  promotion  of  the  Kingdom  of  Christ,"  put- 
ting it  in  terse  language,  was  the  object  of  the  Wake 
Baptist  Association. 

This  the  Association  endeavored  to  accomplish 
from  year  to  year  by  donating  to  State  Missions,  min- 
isterial education,  Foreign  Missions,  and  aiding  the 
weaker  churches  within  its  bounds.  This  Associa- 
tion has  contributed  larger  sums  to  young  men  pre- 
paring themselves  for  the  ministry  than  any  other 
similar  organization  in  the  State.  It  was  in  the 
Wake  Association  that  the  Oxford  Orphan  Asylum 
was  conceived.  A  committee  was  appointed  to  meet 
with  others  in  Henderson,  and  as  a  result  of  this  con- 
ference the  Grant  Colored  Orphan  Asylum  was  estab- 
lished. The  Association  has  since  felt  a  peculiar  re- 
sponsibility toward  the  asylum,  making  annual  con- 
tributions for  its  maintenance.  The  Association  in 
1908  had  forty-three  churches,  forty-two  ordained 
and  twenty-seven  licensed  preachers ;  forty-three  Sun- 
day Schools,  with  six  thousand  one  hundred  and 
thirty  members  to  the  churches,  and  three  thousand 
two  hundred  and  twenty-six  pupils  in  regular  attend- 
ance in  the  Sunday  Schools.  Many  of  the  churches 
of  the  Wake  Association  have  B.  Y.  P.  TJ.  Societies. 
The  Association  loyally  supports  the  Lott-Carey  Con- 


1 


92  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

vention  and  the  Educational  and  Missionary  Conven- 
tion of  North  Carolina. 

The  New  Hope  Association. 

The  New  Hope  Association  was  organized  in  Chat- 
ham County  in  1870.  Revs.  C.  L.  Hackney,  E.  H. 
Cole,  C.  D.  Hackney,  Jack  Taylor  and  Wm.  Taylor 
formed  the  ministry  in  the  organization.  Like  many 
other  associations  the  New  Hope  has  developed  won- 
derfully since  its  organization.  From  the  few  scat- 
tered churches  it  has  grown  to  forty-two  churches, 
with  a  membership  of  ten  thousand.  Many  of  the 
ministers  of  the  Association  in  1908  were  men  who 
had  advantages  of  Shaw  University.  No  association 
of  the  State  was  more  loyal  to  the  cause  of  Foreign 
Missions  and  the  objects  of  the  Convention.  Revs. 
J.  H.  Dunston,  L.  H.  Hackney,  B.  F.  Hopkins,  M. 
W.  Brown  and  J.  H.  Caldwell,  following  in  the  wake 
of  the  old  men  of  the  organization,  made  the  New 
Hope  Association  what  it  was.  Whatever  the  Bap- 
tists of  the  State  undertook  that  is  what  these  men 
fell  in  line  with,  and  ceased  not  until  that  object  was 
accomplished. 

The  Rowan  Baptist  Association. 

The  Rowan  Baptist  Association  was  organized  in 
1877  in  a  hospital  at  Salisbury,  which  was  afterward 
purchased  by  the  Baptists  there  and  was  organized 
as  the  Dixonville  Baptist  Church.  Revs.  Harry 
Cowan,  Z.  Horton  and  Cumbe  Ellis  were  the  minis- 


Associations.  93 

ters  present  in  the  organization.  Rev.  Harry  Cowan 
was  the  first  Moderator.  There  have  presided  over 
this  body  since :  Revs.  John  Washington,  Z.  Horton, 
Gove  Crowell,  George  Bowles,  J.  O.  Crosby,  P.  S. 
Lewis,  C.  C.  Somerville,  C.  L.  Davis  and  G.  W. 
Johnson. 

There  were  three  churches  in  the  organization,  and 
except  the  Dixonville,  in  the  hospital  as  stated,  the 
others  worshiped  under  brush  arbors.  At  the  As- 
sociation in  Charlotte  in  1908,  there  were  sixty-five 
churches,  with  a  membership  of  twelve  thousand,  and 
church  edifices  worth  two  hundred  thousand  dollars. 
Altogether  the  best  edifices  among  the  Baptists  o± 
North  Carolina  were  to  be  found  in  the  bounds  of 
the  Rowan  Association.  This  was  said  as  well  of 
the  leaders. 

While  there  were  many  able  preachers  in  other  as- 
sociations, there  were  more  at  that  period  in  the 
Rowan  than  in  any  other.  The  school  facilities  were 
not  equal  by  far ;  they  had  not  the  secondary  schools 
as  the  others.  At  a  time  the  Rowan  Normal  School 
was  conducted  by  Dr.  C.  C.  Somerville  in  Charlotte. 
While  the  Association  made  annual  contributions  to 
it,  it  was  never  adopted  as  the  property  of  the  As- 
sociation. 

When  Dr.  Somerville  was  called  to  Portsmouth 
the  Salisbury  people  took  the  school  there  and  con- 
ducted it,  changing  the  name  of  it  to  the  Piedmont 
Institute.  The  Association  was  liberal  in  its  contri- 
butions to  mission  work  and  ministerial  education. 


94  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

It  was  from  this  Association  the  strongest  support 
came  to  the  State  Convention,  especially  in  the  early 
years  of  its  history. 

Hammond's  Creek  Baptist  Association. 

Hammond's  Creek  Baptist  Association  was  organ- 
ized in  the  year  1886,  with  the  Rev.  Gilbert  Monroe 
as  its  first  President.  Seven  churches  met  together 
for  the  advancement  of  Christ's  Kingdom  in  the 
world.  Since  its  organization  eight  more  churches 
have  been  added.  Such  heroes  as  the  late  Revs.  Jo- 
seph Mackay,  Waymon  Kelly,  Luke  Hodge,  Levi  P. 
Troy  and  Gilbert  Monroe  were  present  in  its  first 
meeting.  The  work  of  Rev.  Luke  Hodge,  whose 
name  the  Hodge's  Institute  bears,  still  lives. 

The  Sunday  School  Convention  in  connection  with 
the  Association  was  an  able  factor  in  aiding  the  cause 
of  organizing  this  Institute  in  our  bounds.  Rev. 
George  Williams  was  the  first  President  of  the  Con- 
vention organized  in  the  spring  of  1886,  and  1ST. 
McCall  was  Secretary.  The  Convention  and  Associa- 
tion acting  together  for  the  cause  of  education  and 
uplifting  of  its  members.  The  Hodge's  Institute  was 
organized  in  1907.  Rev.  S.  W.  Smith  was  President 
of  the  Association  and  the  Convention.  Prof.  W.  T. 
Askew  was  requested  to  take  charge  of  the  Institute, 
which  he  did  with  good  results.  One  hundred  and 
three  students  were  enrolled  the  first  session.  This 
school  was  situated  in  West  Clarkton,  just  one  mile 
from  depot;  a  school  building  on  12  acres  of  land 


Associations.  95 

paid  for  at  a  cost  of  $600.  The  Board  of  Trustees 
have  in  view  the  erection  of  a  $1,000  building. 

The  ministers  at  work  in  1908  were  the  Revs.  S. 
W.  Smith,  W.  H.  Monroe,  N.  Robinson,  H.  S.  Mc- 
Neil, M.  H.  Monroe,  T.  H.  McKay,  Z.  T.  Russ  and 
H.  Cromartie. 

The  Hammond's  Creek  Association  and  Convention 
have  been  loyal  to  the  State  Convention.  Rev.  Geo. 
Williams  was  for  many  years  the  exponent,  and 
through  him  and  others  these  bodies  were  loyal  and 
faithful. 

The  Johnston  District  Association. 

This  Association  was  organized  in  1886  at  Piney 
Grove  Church,  Johnston  County.  The  Johnston  As- 
sociation was  once  a  part  of  the  Wake  Association. 
Revs.  E.  B.  Blake,  P.  T.  Young,  R.  R.  Johnson,  John 
Jefferson,  Charles  Thompson,  James  Chavis,  S.  B. 
Smith,  J.  C.  Pool,  W.  A.  Jones  were  in  the  organi- 
zation. Rev.  E.  B.  Blake,  who  was  then  the  acknowl- 
edged leader,  was  elected  the  first  Moderator;  Rev. 
W.  A.  Jones,  who  afterward  took  the  leadership,  was 
the  first  Clerk.  There  were  eleven  churches  in  the 
organization.  In  1908  there  were  thirty-five.  A 
Secondary  Baptist  School  was  before  the  Association 
for  several  years,  and  was  put  on  foot,  and  located  in 
Smithfield,  "N.  C,  in  1908.  There  were  several 
churches  in  the  Association,  with  splendid  property. 
The  thirty-five  churches  in  1908  might  be  fairly  esti- 
mated at  twentv  thousand    dollars.      Much  of    the 


96  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

progressiveness  and  aggressiveness  of  the  Association 
in  the  first  years  of  its  history  was  due  to  the  energy 
and  push  of  Eev.  W.  A.  Jones,  although  pastor  of 
four  of  the  largest  churches  set  an  example  by  re- 
maining in  Shaw  University  Theological  Department 
until  he  finished  his  course,  which  greatly  enabled 
him  to  lead  the  Association,  although  most  of  his 
time  holding  a  place  in  the  ranks. 

The  Pee  Dee  Baptist  Association. 

The  Pee  Dee  Baptist  Association  was  composed 
largely  of  the  Baptist  churches  in  Richmond,  Scot- 
land and  Moore  Counties.  There  were  but  few  in 
the  organization  in  1870,  yet  like  most  of  the  associa- 
tions of  the  State  the  number  grew  rapidly.  Although 
the  Pee  Dee  had  one  of  the  strongest  advocates  the 
State  Convention  possessed  in  the  person  of  Rev.  S. 
W.  Dockery,  for  many  years  there  was  some  oppo- 
sition to  the  Convention;  but  with  the  accession  of 
such  men  as  H.  I.  Quick,  J.  J.  Hines  and  J.  S. 
Brown  the  opposition  was  overcome.  The  Pee  Dee 
brethren  fell  in  line  with  the  spirit  to  organize  asso- 
ciational  secondary  schools,  and  provided  such  a 
school  at  Hamlet,  the  most  central  location  in  the 
Association  bounds. 

This  school  did  not  grow  so  rapidly  as  some  of  the 
others  in  the  State,  but  kept  intact  the  churches  and 
afforded  an  object  about  which  they  might  rally.  The 
Pee  Dee  Union  Association  was  formed  out  of  the 
Pee  Dee.     At  first  the  spirit  of  missions  was  not  so 


Associations.  97 

manifest  in  the  Association,  but  with  other  growth 
and  progress  came  that  of  missions. 

The  Zion  Missionary  Baptist  Association. 

The  Zion  Association  was  along  the  Seaboard  Air 
Line  Railroad  beyond  and  west  of  the  Pee  Dee.  From 
the  organization  to  the  time  of  the  death  of  Rev.  J. 
H.  Ratlin",  of  Deep  Creek,  he  was  the  much  loved 
Moderator  of  the  Zion  Association.  Possibly  the 
most  progressive  and  ablest  minister  of  the  Associa- 
tion for  many  years  was  Rev.  J.  F.  Davis.  Although 
a  layman,  A.  J.  Beverly,  intelligent,  manly  and  of  a 
modest  Christian  spirit,  added  great  strength  to  the 
Association,  especially  in  the  school  work  which  was 
begun  long  after  the  beginning  made  by  the  Pee  Dee 
people,  but  was  pushed  to  a  ripid  growth  and  develop- 
ment. The  Zion  Academy  was  the  pride  of  the  Bap- 
tists of  that  section.  For  several  years  after  its  es- 
tablishment Prof.  E.  H.  Lipscombe  was  the  principal. 

As  in  and  about  Lumberton  the  Baptists  of  Anson 
County  were  greatly  stimulated  and  encouraged  by 
the  Institute  work  of  the  ISTew  Era  Institute.  Their 
wisdom  was  shown  in  the  rapid  growth  of  the  Zion 
Academy  at  Wadesboro. 

The  Union  Baptist  Association. 

This  Association,  composed  largely  of  the  churches 
of  Cumberland  County,  was  organized  1883.  The 
McDonalds,  H.  C.  and  J.  J.,  BT.  B.  Dunham,  O.  Wat- 
kins,  J.  M.  Whitted  and  W.  H.  Anders  were  first  in 

7 


/ 


98  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

this  Association  for  many  years  after  its  organiza- 
tion. Dr.  E.  E.  Smith,  of  Fayetteville,  Kevs.  J.  J. 
Hines  and  J.  S.  Brown  were  added  afterward.  Dr. 
Smith  had  no  equal  in  the  Association,  and  compared 
favorably  with  the  ablest  men  in  the  denomination. 
Soon  after  connecting  himself  with  the  body  he  be- 
came its  Moderator,  in  which  capacity  he  was  able 
to  lead  his  brethren  into  usefulness  and  prominence. 
There  were  many  good  men  in  the  Union,  as  well  as 
other  associations  of  the  State,  and  no  good  cause  was 
ever  turned  away  without  aid.  They  were  faithful 
and  loyal  to  the  Convention  and  its  objects.  The 
Theological  Department  at  Shaw  University  and  the 
Fayetteville  Normal  School  received  its  largest  do- 
nations for  education.  Like  many  of  the  associa- 
tions of  North  Carolina,  the  Union  had  a  Sunday 
School  Convention  in  connection  with  it,  which  also 
did  much  good  in  works  of  education,  charity  and 
missions. 

The  Lane's  Creek  Association. 

The  Lane's  Creek,  which  was  organized  in  1891. 
was  never  a  very  large  body  compared  with  the  larg2 
associations  of  the  State,  and  yet  small  in  number 
and  in  the  size  of  the  churches  it  was  generous.  The 
statistical  table  shows  that  there  were  sixteen  churches 
and  twenty-four  ministers  in  1897.  A  difference  of 
opinion  respecting  the  standing  of  one  of  its  leading 
ministers  was  a  dispute  for  years,  and  did  more  than 
all  else  to  impair  its  usefulness.     "Shall  an  individual 


Associations.  99 

be  allowed  to  marry  again  if  the  other  party  is  living, 
though  the  cause  of  separation  be  a  Bible  cause?" 
was  the  question  which  constantly  brought  confusion 
in  the  ranks  of  the  Lane's  Creek  brethren.  In  1907 
the  Association  was  submerged,  and  with  two  other 
associations  helped  to  form  a  new  one. 

The  Mud  Creek  Association. 

The  Mud  Creek  Association  was  organized  near 
Asheville,  St.  John  Baptist  Church,  1878.  There 
were  present  in  the  organization  Rev.  Caleb  Johnson, 
B.  F.  and  C.  W.  Hemphill  and  Rev.  Lindsay.  The 
Association,  as  it  was  finally  constituted,  were  the 
Asheville  First  Church,  St.  Luke,  Swannanoa,  St. 
John,  Arden,  Concord,  Hendersonville,  Flat  Rock, 
Mills  River,  Davidson  River,  Brevard  and  a  few 
others.  Altogether  there  are  fifteen  hundred  mem- 
bers in  these  churches  which  compose  the  Mud  Creek 
Association.  There  is  also  a  Sunday  School  Union 
connected  with  the  Mud  Creek.  This  Union,  together 
with  others  beyond  the  mountain,  have  purchased 
land  at  Arden  and  have  undertaken  the  erection  of 
a  school  building.  There  has  been  some  opposition 
to  the  work  at  Arden  on  which  account  the  school 
work  has  been  greatly  retarded.  There  is  some  Home 
Mission  work  done  in  connection  with  the  poorer 
churches,  and  like  many  associations  east  of  the  Blue 
Ridge,  there  is  Foreign  Mission  money  taken  when 
there  is  some  one  to  represent  the  Foreign  Mission 
cause.     Rev.  A.  H.  Wilson,  A.  Black  and  Rev.  Fos- 


100  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

ter  were  among  the  leaders  of  after  years  together, 
with  such  laymen  as  J.  P.  E.  Love,  B.  Underwood 
and  Thomas  Furney. 

The  Waynesville  Association. 

The  Waynesville  Association  was  organized  1880 
at  Waynesville,  N.  C,  with  the  Hemphills,  B.  F. 
and  Calvin ;  also  Rev.  Ponders  and  Rev.  Frank  Lind- 
say. It  was  named  for  the  village  in  which  it  was 
organized.  The  following  churches  composed  thi^ 
Association:  Waynesville,  Scott's  Creek,  Webster, 
Bryson  City,  Franklin,  Piney  Grove,  Birdtown  (an 
Indian  Church),  Murphy  and  Blue  Ridge,  Ga.  This 
Association  unites  with  the  Mud  Creek  to  do  Home 
Mission  work.  This  is  likewise  done  through  the 
union.  James  Ritchie,  A.  H.  Wilson,  M.  L.  Page, 
Wm.  Love,  Calvin  Hemphill,  A.  L.  Copeland  and 
C.  L.  Stewart  are  the  leading  ministers  of  this  Asso- 
ciation. 

The  French  Broad  Association. 

This  Association  was  united  with  the  others  in  the 
union  work  until  1905,  when  it  separated  from  the 
union  and  undertook  its  own  individual  work.  This 
Association  was  originally  formed  out  of  the  Mud 
Creek.  Some  of  the  churches  of  this  Association 
were  the  Mt.  Zion,  Asheville,  Alexander,  Leicester  and 
Madison.  As  we  have  already  mentioned,  Rev.  J.  R. 
Nelson  was  the  acknowledged  leader  of  this  body. 

This  Association  gives  some  assistance  to  the 
school  at  Madison  and  in  its  own  way  gives  to  Home 


Associations.  101 

Missions  and  the  Foreign  Mission  work  through  the 
National  Baptist  Convention. 

The  Shiloh  Baptist  Association. 

The  Shiloh  Association  was  one  of  the  first  organ- 
ized in  the  State,  and  one  of  the  first  to  undertake 
the  secondary  school  project.  Rev.  Isaac  Alston  was 
for  many  years  its  Moderator;  M.  F.  Thornton,  a 
prominent  layman  of  the  First  Church  of  Warrenton. 
its  Clerk.  The  growth  of  this  Association  soon  placed 
it  among  the  leading  associations  for  the  colored  Bap- 
tists of  the  State.  After  years  of  progress  it  began  to 
wane,  the  Middle  Association  being  the  first  to  pull 
away,  and  in  its  annual  session  of  1908  a  part  of  the 
Association  met  in  Ridgeway  and  the  other  part  in 
Henderson.  Through  strenuous  efforts  the  property 
purchased  in  Warrenton  for  school  purposes  was  paid 
for  at  an  original  cost  of  six  thousand  dollars,  but  as 
a  long  standing  debt  amounted  to  eight  thousand. 

According  to  its  strength  and  opportunity  the  As- 
sociation did  but  little  for  missions  proper,  but  de- 
voted its  energy  to  the  school  at  Warrenton.  For 
several  years  this  school  was  the  pride  of  the  Bap- 
tists of  the  State,  but  there  arose  differences  in  the 
management  which  were  never  healed,  and  hence  the 
usefulness  of  the  work  was  greatly  hindered.  While 
the  Association  had  many  noble  and  able  men  in  it* 
ranks  these  differences  which  we  have  mentioned  kept 
them  from  doing  what  they  might  have  done. 


102  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

The  West  Roanoke  Association. 

As  we  have  already  mentioned,  in  connection  with 
the  East  Roanoke  Association  it  was  thought  advisable 
after  some  years  of  its  existence  that  a  new  Associa- 
tion should  be  formed,  and  hence  this  new  associa- 
tion was  formed  in  1884,  and  took  the  name  of  the 
West  Roanoke  Association.  This  was  afterwards 
found  to  be  not  only  practical  but  wise.  The  school 
project  was  already  under  way  at  Winton  under  the 
guidance  and  leadership  of  Rev.  C.  S.  Brown,  then 
a  recent  graduate  of  Shaw  University,  and  this  new 
organization  was  just  the  thing  to  push  this  move- 
ment to  a  happy  condition. 

The  West  Roanoke  included  the  churches  of  Hert 
ford  County  and  a  part  of  Northampton  with  Bertie 
County.  The  brethren  from  Bertie  felt  that  the 
school  at  Winton  in  Hertford  was  too  far  away  for 
them  to  enjoy  its  benefits,  and  hence  they  established 
in  the  county,  and  at  Windsor,  the  Bertie  Academy. 
The  Northampton  people,  with  a  school  of  high 
grade  at  Rich  Square,  felt  that  their  pro  rata  should 
come  to  them  for  the  support  of  their  school,  and  this 
caused  the  West  Roanoke  Association  to  divide  its 
annual  contributions  with  the  three  schools.  We 
have  mentioned  the  educational  fever  which  pre- 
vailed in  North  Carolina  at  this  time.  Every  asso- 
ciation, with  few  exceptions,  felt  they  should  have 
a  school  of  their  own,  and  in  the  case  of  the  West 
Roanoke  they  were  content  only  with  three.     With 


A  sso  c  ia  tions.  103 

years  of  experience  it  was  seen  to  be  unwise,  that 
the  schools  should  have  been  fewer,  which  would  have 
given  better  support,  and  yet  there  was  untold  good 
accomplished  in  these  schools  throughout  the  State 
The  West  Roanoke  Association  raised  the  largest 
amount  of  money  raised  by  any  association  in  the 
State :  as  much  as  twenty-five  hundred  dollars  in  an 
annual  sitting. 

Somehow  the  ambition  to  raise  money  and  build 
up  schools  took  hold  of  the  brethren,  and  many 
sacrifices  were  made  to  carry  out  this  ambition.  It 
was  edifying  and  encouraging  to  see  deacons  of  the 
different  churches,  many  of  them  unable  to  read 
themselves,  struggling  with  their  membership  to  bring 
up  large  sums  of  money  to  the  Association  for  educa- 
tion. The  Moderator  of  this  Association  for  many 
years  was  the  President  of  the  Lott-Carey  Convention 
and  President  of  the  State  Convention.  This  was 
sufficient  to  arouse  the  brethren  of  the  West  Roanoke 
in  behalf  of  both  State  and  Foreign  Missions ;  and 
hence  the  Association  became  prominent  not  only 
in  that  locality  but  throughout  the  State  and  else- 
where. 

The  Reedy  Ceeek  Association. 

The  Reedy  Creek  Association  was  composed  of  the 
churches  north  of  the  Shiloh  and  between  the  Shiloh 
and  the  Neuse  River,  including  churches  in  Warren, 
Halifax,  Northampton  and  Nash  Counties.  The 
Reedy  Creek  was  never  as  large  as  the  Shiloh  or  the 


> 


104  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

Neuse  River.  Like  nearly  all  the  associations  with 
a  school  on  their  hands,  the  Reedy  Creek  fostered  the 
school  at  Littleton  under  the  principalship  of  Mr. 
Warwick.  While  the  Association  was  never  hostile 
to  missions,  comparatively  little  was  given  in  this 
direction;  yet  whenever  the  missionary  was  present 
and  laid  the  cause  of  missions  before  the  Association 
he  met  a  welcome  and  a  response.  Rev.  Jack  Mayes, 
of  Littleton,  who  was  in  this  body  in  its  origin,  was 
foremost  for  many  years,  in  fact  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  in  1906.  Rev.  L.  J.  Alexander  and 
Rev.  S.  Grigg,  of  Wise,  1ST.  C,  took  the  lead  in  after 
years  and  did  much  to  bring  the  Association  abreast 
with  the  best  associations  of  the  State.  In  speaking 
of  the  Association  it  should  not  be  thought  that  this 
Association  was  so  far  behind  many  others  so  far  as 
the  missionary  spirit  was  concerned.  The  great  hin- 
drance to  the  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina,  as 
we  find  it  was  with  the  white  Baptists  in  the  days  of 
their  early  history,  the  great  need  of  more  of  that 
spirit  which  made  them  Missionary  Baptists,  the  mis- 
sionary spirit. 

The  Middle  Ground  Association. 

Not  only  was  the  West  Roanoke  Association  formed 
out  of  the  East  Roanoke,  but  it  seemed  practicable 
and  wise  to  the  East  Roanoke  brethren  in  1899  that 
letters  should  be  granted  to  the  remaining  churches 
beyond  the  sound,  and  that  they  should  be  set  apart 
into  a  new  organization,  and  hence,  like  the  original 


Associations.  105 

thirteen  States  which  formed  themselves  into  a  union 
and  government)  thirteen  of  the  churches  lying  be- 
tween East  and  West  Roanoke  formed  themselves 
into  the  Middle  Ground.  The  East  and  West  Roan- 
oke, having  some  of  the  ablest  and  strongest  men 
of  the  denomination  as  leaders,  there  was  but  little 
for  the  Association  forming  a  wedge  to  accomplish, 
and  hence  their  growth  was  slow. 

Lumber  River  Association. 

This  Association  is  composed  of  the  churches  of 
Columbus  County  with  a  few  from  the  adjoining 
counties.  The  Thompsons,  E.  M.  and  A.  H.,  to- 
gether with  several  others,  organized  the  Lumber 
River  Association.  This  Association  was  not  among 
the  largest  in  number,  but  did  a  decided  service  in 
the  support  it  gave  to  the  school  at  Lumberton,  which 
took  its  name  from  Rev.  A.  H.  Thompson.  Like 
many  other  associations  in  the  State,  these  fathers 
could  do  but  little  more  than  organize  them  and  push 
them  off,  leaving  the  real  work  to  be  done  by  the 
younger  men.  In  some  cases  the  young  men  had 
first  to  contend  for  the  place  as  leaders  while  the  old 
men  lived,  but  not  so  with  the  fathers  of  the  Lumber 
River  Association.  When  W.  C.  Pope,  J.  D.  Har- 
rell  and  James  McKellar  came  to  the  front,  with 
Avery  and  Knuckles  in  charge  of  the  educational 
work,  these  old  men  gave  way  and  with  the  prayers 
and  benedictions  said  "Go  ahead,  young  men,  and 
carry  the  work  forward  where    we  have    left  off." 


106  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

These  young  men  went  ahead,  and  as  a  result  three 
imposing  buildings  were  erected  on  the  school  site  at 
Lumberton,  and  one  of  the  best  secondary  schools  of 
North  Carolina  was  put  into  successful  operation. 
Several  of  the  ministers  of  the  Association,  that  they 
might  have  the  benefit  of  the  school  and  a  pleasant 
social  surrounding,  erected  homes  near  the  school, 
making  it  a  village  in  itself,  attractive  in  appearance 
and  the  pride  of  the  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Caro- 
lina. As  an  expression  of  its  pride  in  the  wonderful 
developments  and  improvements  of  the  Baptists  of 
this  locality,  the  State  Convention  met  with  the  Sandy 
Grove  Baptist  Church,  which  proudly  lifts  her  spire 
in  the  midst  of  these  school  buildings  and  Baptist 
village. 

The  East  Roanoke  Association. 

The  organization  of  the  East  Roanoke  Association 
took  place  in  the  Haven  Creek  Baptist  Church,  Roan- 
oke Island,  1886.  There  were  present  in  this  or- 
ganization L.  W.  Boone,  J.  T.  Reynolds,  C.  E 
Hodges,  J.  A.  Fleming,  Asberry  Reid  and  others. 
Rev.  L.  W.  Boone  preached  the  introductory  sermon 
and  was  elected  Moderator;  J.  T.  Reynolds,  Clerk; 
J.  A.  Flemming,  Assistant  Clerk.  Together  with 
the  above  named  Revs.  J.  K.  Lamb,  Zion  H.  Berry, 
A.  Mebane,  Wm.  Reid  and  Emanuel  Reynolds  led 
the  forces  for  many  years. 

At  their  annual   session     1884    the    Association, 
which  included  some  of  the  churches  across  the  line 


Associations.  107 

of  Virginia,  had  grown  so  large  until  they  granted 
letters  to  the  churches  beyond  the  sound  to  organize 
another  association,  and  hence  the  West  Roanoke 
was  formed.  Its  forces  grew  so  rapidly  even  after- 
ward, in  1899,  they  granted  letters  for  the  forma- 
tion of  an  association  for  the  second  time,  and  the 
Middle  Ground  Association,  lying  between  the  East 
and  the  West  Roanoke,  took  its  existence.  Even  giv- 
ing off  such  large  numbers  the  East  Roanoke  was 
one  of  the  largest  if  not  the  largest  Association  in 
the  State.  The  Association  not  only  counted  for 
numbers,  but  was  second  only  in  its  contributions  to 
its  child,  the  East  Roanoke,  in  its  annual  contribu- 
tions. The  reports  of  its  work  through  the  Roanoke 
Institute  at  Elizabeth  City  showed  that  one  thousand 
students  had  been  enrolled  up  to  1908 ;  thirty-five 
graduates  had  been  sent  forth  to  bless  the  State  and 
the  world,  and  that  among  that  number  were  sev- 
eral of  the  ablest  preachers  to  be  found  anywhere 
in  the  State.  Not  from  this  school  but  from  this 
Association  had  gone  the  gifted  Boone,  than  whom 
North  Carolina  has  produced  no  greater;  George  W. 
Lee,  often  called  "The  Daddy  of  Negro  Preachers." 
and  the  gifted  Norman  of  the  Metropolitan  Church 
of  Washington  City.  Besides  these  Revs.  G.  D. 
Griffin,  B.  W.  Dance,  Z.  W.  White,  W.  A.  Taylor,  C. 
M.  and  R.  R.  Cartwright  and  I.  S.  Riddick.  In 
1908  the  Association  numbered  twenty  thousand  in 
membership  with  some  of  the  best  church  structures 
to  be  found  in  the  State. 


108  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

The  Cedar  Grove  Association. 

In  1868  the  Cedar  Grove  Association  was  organ- 
ized in  Pleasant  Grove  Baptist  Church,  Roxboro, 
Person  County,  N.  C.  Pleasant  Grove,  Mt.  Zion 
and  Cedar  Grove  were  in  the  organization.  Revs. 
R.  P.  Martin,  Rudley  Williams,  Steven  Williams 
and  Elijah  Jones.  The  Association  was  first  called 
the  Pleasant  Grove,  and  afterward  at  a  meeting  at 
Pleasant  Grove  the  name  was  changed  to  the  Oak 
Grove  Association. 

At  the  third  meeting  of  the  Association  Rev.  L.  C. 
Ragland,  a  white  minister,  united  with  the  body  of 
colored  brethren,  and  remained  with  them  until  his 
death.  His  scholarship  and  piety  served  his  breth- 
ren well  for  at  such  a  time  just  such  a  man  was 
needed.  Rev.  D.  A.  Howell  came  to  his  brethren 
and  greatly  aided  the  Association  in  its  rapid  growth. 
Through  these  and  other  men  the  Association  soon 
developed  into  a  membership  of  forty-two  churches. 
Revs.  A.  J.  Graves,  A.  L.  Johnson,  J.  R.  Cozart, 
R.  H.  Harris  and  W.  H.  Toler  did  much  to  make  the 
Association  what  it  proved  to  be  in  missionary  and 
educational  endeavor.  The  unusual  thing  was  the 
constant  change  of  name,  but  it  was  afterward 
changed  to  the  Cedar  Grove,  and  kept  its  name  as 
well  as  its  faith  in  the  principles  as  taught  in  the 
Scriptures.  Like  most  of  the  Associations  of  the 
State,  this  Association  caught  the  spirit  of  education 
to  do  educational  work  and  purchased  a  site  at  Rox- 


Associations.  109 

boro,  N.  C,  but  somehow  there  was  always  some  ob- 
jection to  the  project,  and  the  school  was  not  estab- 
lished. This  difference  and  others  finally  led  to  a 
separation  of  the  churches  and  the  formation  of  an- 
other Association  known  as  the  East  Cedar  Grove 
Association.  After  this  separation  Rev.  A.  L.  John- 
son led  in  the  effort  and  a  school  site  was  selected 
at  Yancey  ville,  but  even  as  late  as  1908  there  was 
still  division  on  the  school  question  which  greatly 
weakened  the  body  in  other  respects,  and  yet  with 
all  the  division  on  the  school  question  the  Associa- 
tion was  a  great  help  in  that  section  of  the  State. 

The  East  Cedar  Geove  Association. 

This  Association  came  out  from  the  Cedar  Grove 
Association  and  was  drawn  out  by  sectional  lines 
from  all  the  churches  east  of  Roxboro.  Rev.  J.  R. 
Cozart  was  easily  the  acknowledged  leader  of  the  new 
faction,  and  his  influence  did  much  to  shape  the 
child,  so  that  it  soon  became  stronger  in  every  way 
than  the  parent.  Revs.  J.  M.  Taylor,  W.  H.  Lyons 
and  Mayes  greatly  assisted  in  the  new  organization. 
Rev.  R.  H.  Harris,  though  a  member  of  the  old  body, 
was  conservative  and  greatly  aided  the  new  body  by 
his  prayers  and  counsel.  The  East  Cedar  Grove 
Association  from  its  organization  was  a  friend  to  mis- 
sions and  education,  and  never  did  they  turn  deaf 
ears  to  a  worthy  cause.  It  kept  in  line  with  the 
State  and  Foreign  Mission  Conventions,  and  in  fact 


110  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

with  every  effort  of  the  Baptists  of  the  State  which 
meant  progress.  They  were  not  encumbered  with 
local  projects,  as  many  of  the  Associations  of  the 
State,  and  hence  were  in  a  better  condition  and  posi- 
tion to  do  for  objects  on  the  outside.  Missions  es- 
pecially suffered  often  at  the  hands  of  associations 
where  local  interests  were  in  the  ascendency.  The 
Wake,  the  East  Cedar  Grove  and  a  few  others  were 
the  exceptions. 


Charitable  Institutions.  Ill 

CHARITABLE  INSTITUTIONS. 

The  Baptists  of  whatever  nationality  have  always 
stood  for  charity  as  well  as  missions.  Early  after 
Emancipation  the  spirit  of  charity  took  hold  of  the 
fathers;  they  began  to  cast  about  for  plans,  places 
and  opportunity  to  put  their  spirit  into  successful 
operation. 

The  Wake  x\ssociation,  located  in  Central  Xorth 
Carolina,  was  the  proper  organization  in  which  their 
spirit  should  take  form,  and  hence  representatives 
were  appointed  from  this  body  to  meet  in  Hender- 
son, N.  C,  in  1875.  An  organization  was  effected 
with  Rev.  A.  Shepard,  of  Raleigh,  N.  C,  President. 

The  Oxford  Orphanage,  1875,  was  organized  at 
Henderson;  the  first  Association  formed  for  the  pur- 
pose at  Henderson  by  representatives  from  the  Wake 
Association.  Rev.  A.  Shepard  held  the  office  of 
President  more  than  thirty-three  years. 

After  some  consideration  Oxford  was  decided  upon 
as  the  place  of  location,  and  twenty-five  acres  of 
land  was  purchased  from  W.  A.  Patillo,  who  was 
elected  Superintendent  and  who  served  a  few  years. 
Miss  Hawkins  was  appointed  in  his  stead.  She 
gave  it  up  and  Robert  Shepard  was  appointed. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE  WOMEN'S  BAPTIST  HOME   MISSION 
CONVENTION  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA. 

The  Women's  Baptist  Home  Mission  Convention 
of  North  Carolina  was  organized  1884,  with  Mrs. 
Lizzie  Neely,  of  Salisbury,  N.  C,  President;  Mrs. 
Lizzie  Saunders,  of  Henderson,  Secretary,  and  Mrs. 
Mary  E.  Tinsley,  of  Oxford,  Treasurer.  Mrs.  B. 
E.  Green  and  Miss  Helen  R.  Jackson  assisted  in  the 
organization.  Eor  more  than  sixteen  consecutive 
years  Mrs.  Pattie  G.  Shepard  remained  at  the  head 
of  the  Woman's  Organization  of  North  Carolina, 
which  was  unmistakable  evidence  of  her  ability  to 
lead  women.  She  was  modest  and  retiring,  and  yet 
when  brought  into  action,  with  her  heart  of  Chris- 
tian devotion,  her  command  of  a  choice  flow  of  lan- 
guage and  her  great  executive  mind,  she  swayed  great 
audiences  wherever  she  appeared,  not  only  of  the 
gentler  sex,  but  of  the  opposite  as  well.  The  suc- 
cess of  the  Convention  for  all  the  years  of  her  re- 
maining at  the  head  was  a  continued  success,  and 
progress  was  due  largely  to  the  President,  whom 
most  of  the  women  were  glad  to  follow.  In  that 
blessed  Providence  which  brings  individuals  to  "work 
together  for  good,"  Mrs.  S.  A.  Eaton,  of  Hender- 
son, N.  C.j  was  brought  to  labor  side  by  side  with 
Mrs.  Shepard  with  the  only  hope  of  reward  in  that 


Women  s  Home  Mission  Convention.         113 

"Blessed  Beyond."  While  Mrs.  Shepard  was  wield- 
ing the  gavel  for  the  Women's  Convention,  Mrs. 
Eaton  was  wielding  the  pen.  Mrs.  Virginia  King 
and  Mrs.  A.  L.  Ransoin  have  made  efficient  treas- 
urers of  the  Convention.  Mrs.  Ransom  holds  thai 
office  now. 

A  number  of  times  during  their  administration 
the  place  of  Corresponding  Secretary,  so  important 
in  any  organization,  underwent  changes:  Mrs.  E. 
E.  Smith,  of  Fayetteville,  an  efficient  and  good  wo- 
man, called  from  labor  to  a  blessed  reward  in  1906 ; 
Miss  Hannah  Steward,  of  Salisbury,  N.  C,  and 
Mrs.  Annie  M.  Brandon,  of  Oxford,  1ST.  C,  who 
held  the  position  successfully  for  a  number  of  years. 
Back  of  these  women  was  an  executive  board  com- 
posed of  the  best  talent  among  the  women  of  the 
State. 

Differing  somewhat  from  the  men's  convention, 
most  of  the  work  of  the  women  was  done  through 
the  Executive  Board,  and  instead  of  their  sessions 
being  devoted  to  discussions  of  business,  often  use- 
less, they  were  given  to  papers  and  addresses  on  use- 
ful topics  and  to  songs  and  devotions. 

At  times  there  was  so  much  done  through  the 
Board  of  the  Convention  some  complaint  was  al- 
leged, but  after  all  much  of  the  wisdom  of  such  a 
course  was  seen  in  the  avoidance  of  needless  discus- 
sion and  a  waste  of  time  and  bitter  feelings  so  often 
engendered  in  floor  debates. 


114  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

The  objects  of  the  Women's  Convention,  as  con- 
tained in  their  Constitution,  were  "To  establish  and 
improve  Baptist  Home  Mission  Societies  in  all  the 
Baptist  churches  and  destitute  sections  of  the  State; 
to  assist  in  the  support  of  the  Oxford  Orphan  Asy- 
lum; to  cooperate  with  the  Chicago  Baptist  Home 
Mission  Society,  to  send  the  gospel  to  Africa,  and  to 
awaken  a  general  interest  in  the  study  of  the  Bible, 
and  in  the  religious  education  of  both  the  aged  and 
the  young  by  gathering  them  into  the  Sunday 
School." 

Much  of  the  success  of  the  Women's  Convention 
of  North  Carolina  was  due  to  their  affiliation  with 
the  Baptist  Home  Mission  Society  of  Women  of 
Chicago. 

Miss  Mary  G.  Burdette,  for  many  years  the  able 
Corresponding  Secretary  of  that  society,  was  one 
of  the  strongest  friends  the  Negro  Baptist  women  of 
this  country  ever  had.  Her  whole  soul  was  devoted 
to  their  uplift,  and  no  pains  were  spared  on  her 
part  in  making  provisions  for  the  extension  and 
progress  of  the  work  among  them.  While  Mrs.  El- 
lers,  the  first  Superintendent  of  the  Woman's  Train- 
ing School,  in  connection  with  the  Shaw  University, 
succeeded  by  Misses  Miller  and  Hamilton,  made  it 
possible  for  so  many  to  go  forth  throughout  North 
Carolina  prepared  to  do  Christian  missionary  work. 
Miss  Burdette  was  the  power  behind  the  throne  which 
made  the  Training  School  a  reality. 


Women  s  Home  Mission   Convention.       115 

What  the  Home  Mission  and  Publication  Socie- 
ties were  to  the  Education  and  Sunday  School  Con- 
ventions, the  Chicago  Society  was,  and  even  more, 
to  the  Women's  Convention  of  North  Carolina. 

The  Convention  was  required  to  raise  what  they 
could  in  support  of  their  missionaries;  the  society 
obligated  itself,  and  paid  from  year  to  year  a  suffi- 
cient amount  to  meet  the  deficit. 

Despite  the  efforts  of  these  Christian  heroines 
there  was  always  at  the  close  of  each  year  a  con- 
siderable deficit  to  be  met. 

Missionary  Work  of  the  Women. 
What  Mrs.  Shepard  was  in  the  chair  and  Mrs. 
Eaton  at  the  desk,  Mrs.  Sallie  A.  Mial,  of  Raleigh, 
was  on  the  mission  field  of  North  Carolina.  In 
thinking  of  one  of  these  women  it  looks  as  if  she  was 
indispensable  to  the  work,  but  it  was  equally  true  of 
the  others,  and  it  seemed  good  that  they  were  kept  by 
a  special  Providence  to  labor  so  ably  and  long.  Pre- 
ceding the  death  of  Mrs.  E.  E.  Smith,  about  whom 
mention  has  already  been  made,  the  Convention  sus- 
tained great  loss  in  the  death  of  Mrs.  Alice  A.  Pat- 
terson, of  Raleigh,  N".  C.  Mrs.  Patterson  was  a  de- 
voted Christian  woman  and  not  only  was  she  helpful 
during  the  sittings  of  the  Convention  with  her  pray- 
ers and  advice,  but  she  was  at  the  side  of  the  mis- 
sionary whenever  and  wherever  opportunity  afforded, 
going  into  the  homes  and  in  the  prayer  meetings, 
giving  encouragement  and  aid  such  as  only  devoted 
women  can  give. 


116  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

Mrs.  Virginia  King,  too,  situated  in  the  distant 
east,  made  her  lovely  home  a  base  of  operation  for 
the  missionaries  of  the  cross.  She  too  was  of  in- 
calculable good  to  the  annual  councils. 

Some  achievements  can  only  be  known  in  the 
"Great  Beyond,"  where  there  shall  be  a  general  reve- 
lation of  records   and  deeds  of  Christian  servants. 

This  gives  some  idea  of  the  great  work  done  by 
the  women  in  their  missionary  work  in  North  Caro- 
lina. 

Their  work  was  divided  into  home  visitation,  Bible 
instruction,  charity  distribution,  organizing, 
strengthening  and  building  up  societies  already  or- 
ganized. 

Naturally  the  first  and  greatest  need  of  the  col- 
ored people  after  they  secured  some  kind  of  homes 
was  to  have  the  proper  regulations  and  practices 
within  the  home  circles.  As  much  as  they  stood  in 
need  of  education,  as  much  as  they  needed  property, 
the  greatest  need  of  this  people  emerged  from  slavery 
with  all  its  stains,  and  greatest  need  for  many  years 
thereafter  was  home  training,  and  this  the  Women's 
Convention  of  North  Carolina  through  its  mission- 
aries undertook  to  accomplish. 

How  well  they  succeeded  is  best  seen  in  the  splen- 
did homes  throughout  North  Carolina,  especially 
among  the  Negro  Baptists.  Mrs.  Mial,  about  whom 
mention  was  made,  had  considerable  influence  with 
the  brethren,  so  necessary  for  the  successful  prose- 
cution of  the  missionary  work   among  the  women, 


Women's  Home  Mission  Convention.       117 

since  they  could  only  be  reached  through  the  leaders 
of  the  churches,  usually  the  ministers  and  deacons; 
often  too  it  was  necessary  to  appear  on  the  floor  of 
the  Associations  and  Conventions  as  well  as  the 
churches.     She  was  especially  adapted  to  this. 

Mrs.  R.  A.  Morris,  of  New  Bern,  1ST.  C,  too,  was 
employed  for  some  years  and  gave  excellent  accounts 
of  real  work  accomplished  throughout  the  eastern 
section  of  the  State,  her  special  field  of  labor. 

Mrs.  Roberta  Bunn,  of  Selma,  N.  C,  the  excep- 
tion who  had  been  thus  appointed  without  the  usual 
course  at  the  Training  School,  was  appointed  con- 
jointly by  the  Women's  Convention  and  the  Educa- 
tional and  Missionary  Convention.  Mrs.  Bunn  was 
a  woman  of  much  Christian  piety  and  zeal.  Like 
the  two  already  named  she  was  possessed  of  peculiar 
adaptation  to  the  missionary  work,  being  called  as 
she  felt  of  God  for  this  specific  work.  Her  reports 
from  year  to  year  were  an  inspiration  and  encour- 
agement to  her  Convention. 

The  Relation  of  the  Women's  Convention  to 

the  Educational  and  Missionary 

Convention. 

For  many  years  after  the  organization  of  the  Wo- 
men's Convention  strenuous  efforts  were  made  to 
unite  the  Conventions  forming  the  women  into  an 
auxiliary  of  the  men's  Convention,  but  for  fear  of 
the  change  of  the  autonomy  and  a  final  submerging 
of  their  Convention  they  would  never  consent  to  the 


118  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

change,  and  no  doubt  their  position  was  wise,  since 
alone,  under  the  guidance  of  God  and  the  aid  of  the 
leading  brethren,  they  accomplished  possibly  most 
existing  separate  and  apart.  Still  there  was  always 
the  kindliest  feeling  between  the  two  Conventions, 
the  women  sometimes  taking  part  on  the  programs 
of  the  men's  Convention  and  the  men  sometimes  tak- 
ing part  with  them. 

By  mutual  consent  a  commission  was  appointed  in 
the  men's  Convention  to  act  as  an  advisory  board 
for  the  Women's  Convention.  For  many  years  the 
women  made  annual  appropriations  to  the  men  to 
be  used  in  connection  with  their  Foreign  Mission 
work. 

In  the  Convention  at  Reidsville,  1907,  it  was 
unanimously  voted  that  the  Women's  Convention  of 
North  Carolina  should  pay  the  expenses  of  Miss 
Cora  A.  Pair  to  labor  as  missionary  under  the  au- 
spices of  the  Lott-Carey  Foreign  Mission  Conven- 
tion in  Africa. 

Achievements. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Lott-Carey  Convention 
which  met  in  Washington  City  September  2,  1908, 
the  first  quarter's  salary  of  Miss  Pair,  $267,  was 
paid  in  by  the  Women's  Convention.  No  object  ap- 
pealed more  readily  to  the  generosity  of  the  North 
Carolina  women  than  Foreign  Missions. 

It  may  be  truly  said  too,  while  the  women  were 
wholly  dependent  on  the  churches  through  which  to 


Women's  Home  Mission  Convention.       119 

organize  the  societies  and  prosecute  their  work,  they 
contributed  in  many  instances  and  in  many  ways  to 
the  general  development  and  improvement  of  the 
churches.  There  are  many  imposing  church  struc- 
tures throughout  the  State  which  owe  their  construc- 
tion to  the  societies  in  the  churches,  and  the  zealous 
women  at  their  helm. 

We  have  mentioned  the  great  good  of  the  Conven- 
tion through  the  women  and  we  may  as  emphatically 
mention  the  good  of  the  individual  society. 

Thousands  of  dollars  were  given  in  clothing  to 
the  naked  through  these  societies,  thousands  in  food 
for  the  hungry,  and  prayers  without  number  at  the 
bedside  of  the  sick  and  dying. 

It  has  been  said  that  "many  a  flower  has  bloomed 
and  shed  its  fragrance  upon  the  desert  air"  un- 
noticed and  unseen;  as  truly  may  it  be  said  while 
much  of  these  splendid  deeds  which  we  have  men- 
tioned have  never  come  to  the  recognition  which 
they  deserve,  yet  the  Heavenly  Father,  of  whom  it 
is  said  "Are  not  two  sparrows  sold  for  a  farthing  ? 
and  one  of  them  shall  not  fall  on  the  ground 
without  your  Father"  sees  and  knows,  and  in  the 
final  consummation  will  give  the  reward  which  is 
their  due.  Possibly  in  no  way,  as  a  convention,  did 
the  Baptist  women  of  North  Carolina  accomplish 
more  than  in  one  feature  of  their  annual  gatherings. 
At  times  it  was  thought  that  some  of  the  women 
carried  some  of  their  views  too  far,  but  it  was  never 
thought  that  there  was  not  great  spiritual  power  and 


120  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

helpfulness  in  the  Women's  Convention  of  North 
Carolina;  for  wherever  they  met  they  left  an  in- 
delible impression  and  a  spiritual  awakening  upon 
the  minds  of  many.  In  fact  there  are  instances  in 
which  many  souls  were  led  to  the  blessed  Christ  and 
many  cold  and  indifferent  Christians  awakened  to 
new  life  and  usefulness. 

The  report  of  the  Convention  of  1908,  as  an  in- 
stance of  their  annual  results,  shows  that  there  were 
eight  thousand  members  of  the  different  societies 
represented;  two  hundred  and  eighty-one  dollars 
raised ;  and  eleven  hundred  dollars  expended  in  food 
and  clothing.  There  were  several  other  organiza- 
tions existing  in  the  State,  separate  and  apart  from 
the  Convention,  but  as  with  the  men  there  was  a 
gradual  unification  of  the  forces.  There  was  great 
rejoicing  when  the  Northbound  Association,  with 
Mrs.  R,  A.  Fitts,  of  Ridgeway,  as  President,  and 
Mrs.  W.  N".  Coats,  of  Margarettsville,  as  Secretary, 
came  into  the  Convention  with  a  strong  force  of 
Christian  women.  We  close  this  chapter  with  the 
splendid  results  of  this  union  going  on  and  with  the 
fields  of  golden  harvests  more  evident  to  the  Conven- 
tion than  ever;  with  zeal,  anxiety  and  determination 
such  as  has  never  characterized  the  Convention  be- 
fore they  go  forth  determined  to  labor  on  until  their 
blessed  Master  calls  them  as  He  has  called  out  of 
their  ranks  before,  from  persistent,  faithful  service, 
they  may  joyfully  "lay  down  their  cross  for  the 
crown." 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE  BAPTIST    STATE    SUNDAY    SCHOOL 
CONVENTION  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA. 

The  Baptist  State  Sunday  School  Convention  of 
North  Carolina  was  organized  in  the  First  Baptist 
Church  in  the  city  of  Raleigh,  May,  1873.  The  ob- 
ject of  this  organization,  as  set  forth  in  the  call,  was 
to  prosecute  Sunday  School  missions;  to  cooperate 
with  the  American  Baptist  Publication  Society  in  its 
work  already  well  under  way  in  the  State,  and  to  es- 
tablish an  orphan  asylum  for  the  protection  and  care 
of  the  colored  orphans  of  North  Carolina.  The  Con- 
vention was  organized  with  Rev.  A.  Shepard,  Presi- 
dent, and  Sherwood  Capps,  Secretary. 

But  little  was  accomplished  in  the  first  few  years 
of  the  organization ;  in  fact  the  Convention  was  com- 
paratively inactive  until  the  appointment  of  Rev.  A. 
Shepard,  the  President  of  the  Convention,  mission- 
ary and  colporter  for  the  American  Baptist  Publica- 
tion Society. 

New  life  and  interest  was  soon  manifest  in  the 
Sunday  School  work  of  the  State,  as  the  President 
of  the  Convention  and  the  missionary  for  the  society 
came  in  contact  with  the  Sunday  Schools  and  the 
Christian  workers  of  the  State.  From  that  time 
continuous  development  and  improvement  was  made, 
until  it  became  the  most  intelligent  organization  for 
the  Baptists  of  North  Carolina.     The  fifth  annual 


122         Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

Convention  was  held  with  the  church  and  Sunday 
School  of  Weldon,  N.  C.,  September  21,  1876. 

Extensive  reports  were  made  at  this  session  by 
Rev.  A.  Shepard,  in  behalf  of  the  Convention  and 
the  society;  also  by  Rev.  C.  Johnson,  in  behalf  of 
the  American  and  Foreign  Missionary  Bible  Society. 

These  reports  showed  rapid  and  decided  improve- 
ment in  the  work  of  the  State.  Rev.  C.  Johnson 
was  elected  President  at  this  meeting.  Seventy  dol- 
lars was  realized  for  all  purposes. 

In  the  sixth  annual  session,  which  was  held  at 
Battleboro,  1ST.  C,  an  auxiliary  committee  was  ap- 
pointed to  correspond  with  the  Sunday  Schools  in 
each  county  of  the  State.  The  purchase  of  a  print- 
ing press  was  considered  at  this  meeting.  The  con- 
stitution was  so  amended  that  each  person  repre- 
sented in  the  Convention  was  required  to  pay  two 
cents  per  annum.  Rev.  N.  F.  Roberts  was  elected 
President  at  this  meeting.  Hon.  J.  T.  Reynolds, 
who  was  the  most  proficient  Corresponding  Secretary 
the  Convention  ever  had  up  to  that  time,  was  elected 
at  this  meeting,  and  served  in  this  capacity  for 
twelve  years.  During  these  years  the  Corresponding 
Secretary  threw  himself  into  the  work,  and  soon  his 
influence  and  usefulness  was  manifest  in  the  growth 
of  the  Convention  financially  and  otherwise.  In 
connection  with  his  duties  as  Corresponding  Secre- 
tary he  was  also  appointed  as  Sunday  School  mis- 
sionary for  the  eastern  section  of  North  Carolina. 
The  next  meeting  of  the  Convention,  which  was  in 


SJ  g-  M 

5    X     OJ 


or* 


o   a  o 

w  -g  ja 

c  u 

O  02 


Sunday  School  Conventions.  123 

Wilmington,  N".  C,  increased  its  collections  to  one 
hundred  and  seventy  dollars.  A  donation  from  this 
amount  was  sent  to  the  yellow  fever  sufferers  in  the 
valley  of  the  Mississippi  River. 

In  the  annual  session  at  Goldsboro  one  hundred 
dollars  was  appropriated  to  the  distribution  of  books 
and  other  literature  in  the  poorer  sections  of  the 
State.  It  was  at  this  session  that  the  Convention 
voted  to  incorporate  at  the  next  session  of  the  Legis- 
lature with  the  following  named  persons  as  trustees: 
K".  F.  Roberts,  A.  B.  Williams,  A.  Shepard,  E.  E. 
Smith,  J.  T.  Reynolds,  J.  J.  Worlds,  C.  Johnson. 
P.  T.  Hall,  L.  H.  Wyche,  R.  I.  Walden  and  A.  J. 
Walker.  This  incorporation  dates  from  March  14. 
1879. 

During  the  following  year  the  Middle  Ground 
Union  District  Convention  was  organized  with  all 
the  schools  east  of  the  Chowan  River  auxiliary  to  the 
State  Convention.  This  union  at  its  organization 
had  eleven  thousand  enrolled.  Rev.  R.  I.  Walden 
was  appointed  to  labor  in  the  East  Roanoke  Union, 
another  auxiliary  to  the  Convention ;  Mr.  J.  T.  Rey- 
nolds in  the  Middle  Ground  Union  bounds.  Under 
the  incorporation  the  name  of  the  Convention  was 
changed  at  the  Tarboro  meeting  to  the  North  Caro- 
lina Missionary  Baptist  Sunday  School  Convention. 
A  bright  and  promising  young  man,  Prof.  Jerry  S. 
Lee,  represented  the  Caswell  County  Convention  at 
the  Tarboro  session.  To  the  deepest  regret  he  soon 
passed  into  the  beyond.     At  the  next  annual  session 


124         Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

the  Convention  agreed  to  pay  into  the  treasury  of  the 
American  Baptist  Publication  Society  one  hundred 
dollars  per  annum  to  assist  in  defraying  the  expenses 
and  salary  of  the  missionary  colporter. 

Rev.  W.  W.  Colly,  returned  missionary  from 
Africa,  addressing  the  Convention  at  its  next  session 
on  the  subject  of  Foreign  Missions,  the  Convention 
agreed  to  make  annual  contributions  in  part  payment 
of  the  salary  and  expenses  of  Rev.  J.  0.  Hayes,  who 
was  then  laboring  in  Africa.  At  the  fourteenth  an- 
nual session  for  the  second  time  at  Tarboro  adopted 
the  Orphans'  Advocate  as  its  organ  and  made  a  do- 
nation to  the  same.  At  this  time  the  Grant  Colored 
Orphan  Asylum  was  well  under  way.  The  Conven- 
tion regarding  this  institution  as  its  child  felt  free 
to  make  to  it  a  generous  offering.  The  following 
counties  were  admitted  to  the  Convention  at  this  sit- 
ting as  its  auxiliaries:  Vance,  Warren,  Franklin, 
Granville,  Wake,  Halifax,  Northampton  and  the 
Cape  Fear  Sunday  School  Convention.  The  next 
session  at  Seaboard  showed  that  five  thousand  dol- 
lars had  been  raised  during  the  year  by  the  different 
schools  represented  in  the  Convention.  The  Baptist 
Pilot  was  represented  by  its  editor,  Rev.  C.  S. 
Brown.  The  Convention  adjourned  here  for  a 
special  session  to  be  held  at  Franklinton,  to  provide 
for  a  joint  session  to  be  held  with  the  Church  Con- 
vention at  Garysburg.  For  several  years  these  two 
Conventions  met  together  in  their  annual  sessions 
until  it  was  found  that  not  so  much  could  be  ac- 


Sunday  School  Conventions.  125 

complished  as  in  separate  sessions.  The  Garysburg 
meeting  was  composed  of  the  Ministerial  Union,  the 
Hayes  and  Flemming  Foreign  Mission  Convention, 
the  Educational  and  Missionary  Convention  and  the 
State  Sunday  School  Convention.  It  was  in  this 
joint  session  that  a  resolution  was  passed  to  change 
the  name  of  the  Grant  Colored  Orphan  Asylum  and 
make  it  a  Baptist  institution.  The  impression  that 
Rev.  J.  Anderson  Taylor,  of  Richmond,  Va.,  made 
on  the  Convention  in  the  interest  of  Foreign  Mis- 
sions was  profound. 

Considering  the  wonderful  achievements  of  Dr. 
H.  M.  Tupper,  the  President  of  Shaw  University,  a 
resolution  was  passed  commending  Dr.  Tupper,  and 
the  hearty  cooperation  of  the  Convention  was  assured 
to  assist  Dr.  Tupper  in  the  furtherance  of  the  great 
work  of  educating  and  uplifting  our  people,  old  and 
young. 

Hon.  J.  H.  Young,  of  Raleigh,  was  elected  Presi- 
dent of  the  Convention  at  its  annual  meeting  in  War- 
renton.  Dr.  E.  M.  Brawley  was  present,  represent- 
ing the  American  Baptist  Publication  Society  as  its 
District  Secretary;  Dr.  H.  L.  Morehouse,  Field  Sec- 
retary of  the  American  Baptist  Home  Mission  So- 
ciety, was  also  present.  Both  of  the  gentlemen  spoke 
in  the  interest  of  their  respective  organizations  and 
stirred  the  Sunday  School  workers  present  as  they 
had  not  been  stirred  before.  Each  and  all  went 
away  from  the  Convention  with  new  life  and  inspira- 
tion. 


126  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

During  the  interim  of  the  Convention  Revs.  Jo- 
seph Perry  and  M.  C.  Ransom  were  appointed  by 
the  Executive  Board  missionary  colporters,  one  for 
the  western  section  of  the  State  and  the  other  for  the 
eastern  section.  A  western  Convention  had  been 
organized  somewhat  antagonistic  to  the  regular  Con- 
vention, and  at  this  Convention  a  committee  was  ap- 
pointed to  try  to  effect  a  union  of  the  two  Conven- 
tions, but  their  work  was  without  avail,  only  to  the 
extent  as  to  bring  about  a  spirit  of  harmony.  Col. 
J.  H.  Young  held  the  place  as  President  two  years. 
Rev.  A.  P.  Eaton  was  elected  the  following  year  at 
Louisburg,  and  he  held  the  place  but  a  year,  being 
succeeded  by  Dr.  N".  P.  Roberts,  who,  like  Mr.  J.  T. 
Reynolds,  seemed  to  be  indispensable  to  the  success 
of  the  Convention.  He  held  the  place  with  honor 
to  the  Convention  for  many  years  with  Dr.  A.  W. 
Pegues,  its  able  Corresponding  Secretary.  There 
were  many  and  important  changes  in  connection  with 
the  Convention  during  their  administration.  The 
Girls'  Education  Fund  was  the  most  important  fea- 
ture. Through  this  means  several  hundred  dollars 
were  raised  annually  and  partial  support  was  given 
to  deserving  girls  in  Baptist  schools  of  the  State. 
As  many  as  twenty  girls  received  help  from  this 
fund  during  a  single  year.  No  object  appealed  tc 
the  support  of  the  Sunday  Schools  of  the  State  as  did 
the  Education  Fund  for  the  girls.  By  a  wise  and 
discreet  appointment  every  section  of  the  entire 
State  was  reached  and  with  each  year  this  fund  in- 


Sunday  School  Conventions.  127 

creased.  A  book  store  was  set  apart  in  the  city  of 
Raleigh  through  the  plans  and  management  of  Drs. 
Pegues  and  Roberts,  which  greatly  increased  the 
revenues  of  the  Convention  besides  greatly  helping 
the  missionary  forces,  as  the  surplus  was  given  to 
the  missionary  work  of  the  State.  Not  only  was  the 
Convention  enabled  to  contribute  annually  to  the 
Foreign  Mission  work,  but  a  donation  was  made  to 
the  Church  Convention  for  its  missionary  work  in 
the  State.  Although  the  two  Conventions,  as  we 
have  stated,  met  at  different  times  and  at  different 
places,  perfect  harmony  prevailed  and  each  was  mu- 
tually helpful  to  the  other. 

It  was  at  this  Convention  in  Greensboro  that  the 
death  of  Dr.  H.  C.  Crosby,  of  Raleigh,  was  made 
known.  Dr.  Crosby  was  the  first  colored  man  to 
make  a  bequest  to  Shaw  University,  and  the  Conven- 
tion passed  strong  resolutions  commending  his  life 
work,  and  especially  this  splendid  gift  of  all  his 
earthly  possessions  to  Shaw  University. 

Rev.  G.  W.  Moore  was  elected  missionary  at  this 
session,  and,  like  the  officers  about  whom  mention 
was  made,  Rev.  Moore  labored  faithfully  and  long 
in  the  interest  of  the  Convention  in  Xorth  Carolina. 

In  the  Durham  meeting  delegates  were  sent  from 
the  Western  Convention  which  had  previously  stood 
apart.  These  delegates  were  gladly  received  as  an 
expression  of  the  growing  unity  of  the  two  Conven- 
tions. This  was  the  beginning  of  the  kindly  feeling 
which  finally  terminated  in  the  joint  appointment 


128         Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

of  certain  of  its  missionaries  and  a  oneness  of  aim 
and  of  purpose.  In  the  Raleigh  meeting  which  fol- 
lowed the  Baptist  Young  People's  Union  was  organ- 
ized in  connection  with  the  Convention,  and  foi 
many  years  held  its  annual  session  at  the  same  place 
and  time  of  the  State  Sunday  School  Convention. 

In  the  Charlotte  Convention  six  hundred  and 
ninety-nine  conversions  were  reported  as  the  direct 
result  of  the  Sunday  School  work  through  its  State 
organization.  Rev.  E.  H.  Lipscombe  was  appointed 
mountain  missionary  to  labor  west  of  the  Blue  Ridge 
Mountains. 

As  an  evidence  of  the  Convention's  appreciation 
of  the  work  of  the  American  Baptist  Home  Mission 
Society,  and  realizing  the  great  work  of  Dr.  T.  J. 
Morgan,  its  Corresponding  Secretary,  learning  of 
the  death  of  this  Christian  man,  passed  suitable  reso- 
lutions on  his  splendid  life  and  the  great  interest 
he  had  manifested  in  the  advancement  of  the  col- 
ored people,  not  only  of  North  Carolina,  but  of  the 
entire  country.  Dr.  S.  1ST.  Vass,  who  had  held  the 
position  of  District  Secretary  of  the  American  Bap- 
tist Publication  Society  so  admirably,  was  appointed 
in  connection  with  his  general  work  Superintendent 
of  Missions  for  North  Carolina.  Rev.  A.  B.  Vin- 
cent, for  many  years  missionary  in  connection  with 
the  plan  of  cooperation  for  church  work,  was  ap- 
pointed missionary  for  the  eastern  section  of  the 
State.  Rev.  G.  W.  Moore,  whom  we  have  already 
mentioned,  was  missionary  in  Central  North  Caro- 


A.  W.  PEGUES,   Ph.D..  D.D.. 
Formerly  Dean  Theological  Department,  Shaw   University.     K01 
ment  State  School  for  the  Blind  and  Deaf.    Corresponding 

State  Sunday   School  Convention. 


Supervis 

Secretary 


ir  ( 'olored  Depart- 
nf  the  Baptist 


Sunday  School  Conventions.  129 

lina,  and  Rev.  B.  B.  Hill,  appointed  conjointly  by 
the  Western  Convention  and  the  State  Convention, 
was  appointed  for  the  Piedmont  and  western  section 
of  the  State.  These  men,  covering  almost  the  entire 
State,  greatly  strengthened  the  Convention  by  their 
able  services. 

The  reports  of  the  different  auxiliary  conventions, 
together  with  the  State  Convention  in  1908,  showed 
that  a  hundred  and  sixty  thousand  persons,  old  and 
young,  were  gathered  in  the  different  Sunday 
Schools,  and  in  a  few  of  the  schools  of  the  State  more 
money  was  realized  in  one  year  than  was  realized 
in  the  first  ten  years  of  the  Convention's  existence. 
The  great  misfortune  in  the  schools,  with  few  ex- 
ceptions, they  were  composed  of  the  children  with 
now  and  then  an  old  man  or  woman.  In  many  of 
them  not  a  single  young  man  was  to  be  seen.  This 
was  not  only  true  in  the  Sunday  School,  but  largely 
in  the  day  school.  In  fact  the  Convention  itself  was 
largely  composed  of  young  women.  It  was  encourag- 
ing, however,  to  find  so  many  of  the  professional 
men  of  the  State  falling  in  line  with  the  Sunday 
School  work  and  helping  to  fill  up  the  ranks  depleted 
by  the  young  men.  In  the  First  Baptist  Sunday 
School  of  Raleigh  was  Col.  J.  H.  Young;  in  the 
White  Rock  Sunday  School  of  Durham  was  Dr.  A. 
M.  Moore,  most  earnest  Sunday  School  superintend- 
ents. In  the  Providence  Sunday  School,  Greens- 
boro, Dr.  J.  E.  Dellinger ;  in  the  Ebenezer  School  of 


130  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

Charlotte  was  Dr.  A.  A.  Wyche,  and  others,  who  did 
very  much  not  only  in  the  Sunday  School  work  but 
in  the  church  work. 

The  work  of  the  Convention  and  the  Sunday 
School  became  greatly  helpful  to  the  younger  people 
and  the  school  itself,  but  with  the  growth  of  the 
Sunday  School  came  the  growth  of  the  church  and 
better  pastors  and  officers  were  demanded ;  the  Asso- 
ciations were  better,  the  Conventions  better,  and  in 
every  way  the  State  Sunday  School  Convention  and 
the  Sunday  School  work  became  helpful  to  the  gen- 
eral and  religious  uplift  of  the  people. 

For  one  to  have  been  present  at  the  Convention 
held  at  Smithfield,  1ST.  C,  after  following  up  the  Con- 
vention for  twenty-five  years  of  its  previous  history, 
he  would  feel  like  exclaiming  as  one  of  old,  "What 
hath  God  wrought !"  The  wrangles  which  one  heard 
in  that  early  period  had  entirely  ceased ;  intelligence 
had  come  in  the  place  of  ignorance,  peace  and  har- 
mony in  the  place  of  contention  and  strife.  A  more 
harmonious  Convention  was  never  held  anywhere ;  a 
greater  manifestation  of  intelligence  was  never 
known.  Encouraging  reports  from  all  the  mission- 
aries, an  increase  of  money  with  which  to  carry  for- 
ward the  work  for  the  ensuing  year,  enthusiastic  and 
able  addresses  from  each  and  every  one  on  the  pro- 
gram and  everything  which  bespoke  a  bright  future 
for  the  Negro  Baptist  Sunday  School  workers  of 
North  Carolina. 


Sunday  School  Conventions.  131 

The  Sunday    School,    Convention    of    Westeen 

NoETH  CaBOLINA. 

The  Baptist  State  Sunday  School  Convention  of 
North  Carolina  in  its  annual  session  at  Tarboro,  N. 
C,  adjourned  to  meet  with  the  Dixonville  Baptist 
Church  and  Sunday  School  of  Salisbury,  jST.  C.  For 
some  reason  the  Executive  Board  during  the  interim 
of  the  Convention  changed  this  decision  and  deter- 
mined on  Louisburg.  The  people  of  Salisbury  and 
the  west  had  made  preparation,  and  did  not  regard 
the  reason  as  given  by  the  Executive  Board  suffi- 
cient for  the  change.  They  held  the  Convention  to 
its  decision  at  the  Tarboro  meeting,  and  hence  fric- 
tion ensued.  A  part  of  the  Convention  met  at  Louis- 
burg and  a  part  met  in  Salisbury.  All  the  officers, 
together  with  the  Board,  met  at  Louisburg,  which 
necessitated  the  election  of  new  officers  for  the  Salis- 
bury wing.  This  marks  the  beginning  of  the  West- 
ern or  Piedmont  Convention,  for  it  has  been  com- 
posed altogether  of  Sunday  Schools  from  the  Pied- 
mont section.  It  may  be  said,  therefore,  that  the 
Western  Convention  dates  from  1884,  in  the  month 
of  September,  Salisbury.  The  Convention  for  sev- 
eral years  after  its  reorganization  was  rather  crude, 
compared  with  its  previous  record ;  but  its  leaders 
were  determined,  and  finally  it  took  form  and  began 
to  show  decided  gains  for  improvement  and  develop- 
ment. As  soon  as  this  was  manifest  it  was  also  seen 
that  one  of  its  chief  aims  was  better  Sundav  Schools. 


132  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

and  progressive  in  every  respect.  After  ten  years 
of  its  existence  this  Convention  realized  the  necessity 
for  some  kind  of  educational  institution  for  the  Pied- 
mont section  among  the  Baptists.  A  meeting  was 
called  at  High  Point,  and  the  following  was  en- 
couched  in  the  Constitution  of  the  Convention: 

"To  encourage,  foster  and  stimulate  the  Sunday 
Schools  of  Western  North  Carolina;  to  organize  new 
schools;  to  teach  the  doctrine  and  principles  of  the 
Baptist  Church;  to  educate  our  people  to  a  free  use 
of  the  Bible  and  Baptist  literature;  to  foster  and  en- 
courage mission  work,  and  to  formulate  general  plans 
to  systematize  and  unify  the  Sunday  School  work  of 
Western  North  Carolina." 

In  the  ten  years  from  1899  to  1908  there  was  a 
great  increase  in  the  number  of  schools  represented 
and  in  the  number  of  persons  in  the  individual 
schools.  This  was  largely  due  to  the  men  at  the 
helm.  In  the  time  of  its  greatest  weakness  the  Con- 
vention elected  R.  W.  Brown,  of  Winston-Salem, 
N.  C,  for  its  President,  and  J.  W.  Paisley,  of  Win- 
ston, for  its  Secretary.  These  two  young  men,  as- 
sociated in  Sunday  School  and  church  work,  and  in 
fact  brought  up  side  by  side  in  the  schoolroom,  were 
very  much  suited  to  each  other  in  the  development 
of  the  great  Sunday  School  work  of  the  Piedmont 
section.  J.  H.  Elam,  for  several  years  Treasurer 
was  also  of  the  same  city  and  Sunday  School.  While 
it  was  thought  that  too  many  came  from  the  same 
church  and  Sunday  School,  it  was  conceded  that  the 


K   3 

J3   CO 
**  3      . 


Sunday  School  Conventions.  133 

wonderful  growth  and  progress  was  due  to  the  un- 
tiring energy  of  these  men  more  than  to  any  other 
single  cause.  Possibly  this  unusual  ability  of  these 
young  men,  coupled  with  P.  S.  Smith,  W.  J.  Poin- 
dexter,  L.  M.  Morton  and  others,  enabled  the  First 
Baptist  Sunday  School  of  Winston-Salem  to  take  its 
place  in  the  lead,  not  only  of  the  Sunday  Schools 
of  this  particular  Convention,  but  of  the  schools  of 
the  entire  State. 

One  thousand  was  its  enrollment  in  1907;  $812 
its  collections;  six  hundred  and  twenty-five  the  aver- 
age attendance.  Soon  after  these  workers  came  to 
the  front  the  first  improvement  was  seen  in  the  su- 
perintendency ;  its  teaching  forces;  its  methods,  and 
in  the  increase  of  finances.  Two  hundred  per  cent 
was  the  general  increase.  The  number  of  teachers 
in  the  various  schools  was  soon  increased  to  three 
hundred  and  fifty.  The  increase  in  membership 
was  in  proportion.  The  Convention  soon  found  it 
necessary  to  appoint  a  missionary,  although  consid- 
erable missionary  work  was  done  previous  to  this 
time,  largely  by  voluntary  service.  Rev.  B.  B.  Hill, 
a  man  of  considerable  experience  as  pastor,  both  in 
the  western  section  of  the  country  and  in  North  Car- 
olina, was  appointed  the  first  permanent  mission- 
ary. With  his  rich  experience  Rev.  Hill  added  great 
strength  to  the  Convention,  both  in  its  annual  coun- 
cils and  in  the  destitute  sections,  carrying  to  them 
the  open  Bible  and  giving  instruction,  comfort  and 
encouragement.     The  Convention  was  greatly  aided 


134         Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

in  the  accession  of  such  men  as  Revs.  P.  R.  Mason, 
of  Salisbury;  A.  S.  Croom,  R.  L.  File,  J.  P.  Alex- 
ander, of  the  same  city;  J.  W.  Hairston,  of  Ad- 
vance ;  D.  J.  Avery,  of  Reidsville ;  O.  S.  Bullock  and 
Jordan,  of  High  Point;  R.  H.  Harris,  Watkins  and 
Hairston,  of  Greensboro,  and  others.  The  reports  of 
the  schools  showed  not  only  that  mere  teaching  had 
been  conducted  but  practical  evangelical  work  had 
been  done  as  seen  in  the  conversion  of  three  hundred 
and  twenty-two  precious  souls.  These  were  some  of 
the  direct  results ;  what  the  indirect  results  were  we 
have  no  way  of  ascertaining  only  in  the  final  accounts 
of  the  lives  and  deeds  of  men.  We  have  mentioned 
the  educational  movement  in  the  meeting  held  at 
High  Point.  The  Rowan  Normal  and  Industrial 
Institute,  conducted  in  Charlotte  a  number  of  years 
and  at  Salisbury,  was  in  part  the  result  of  this 
awakening  through  this  Convention.  The  Conven- 
tion aided  these  projects  at  each  of  its  annual  sit- 
tings. In  the  light  of  changed  conditions,  and  in 
that  feeling  of  compromise  which  comes  to  all  Chris- 
tians after  mature  deliberation,  the  two  Conventions, 
which  we  have  said  went  apart  in  1884,  were  brought 
into  more  harmonious  relations,  and,  regarding  the 
other  body  as  parent,  the  Western  Convention  sent 
correspondents  and  finally  delegates  to  meet  the  pa- 
rent body  from  year  to  year.  In  fact  the  appoint- 
ment of  Rev.  B.  B.  Hill,  about  whom  mention  has 
been  made,  was  made  conjointly  by  the  two  Conven- 


Sunday  School  Conventions.  135 

tions;  the  parent  body  paying  one  hundred  dollars 
of  his  salary  and  the  Western  Convention  paying 
the  rest.  In  the  providence  of  God  an  orphanage 
was  established  near  Winston-Salem.  The  Conven- 
tion regarded  it  as  a  Godsent  opportunity,  and  an 
object  upon  which  to  bestow  its  charity.  The  Win- 
ston-Salem Orphanage  had  no  better  friend  than  the 
Western  Sunday  School  Convention.  The  Baptist 
Sentinel,  the  Home  and  Foreign  Mission  work,  in 
fact  every  work  which  meant  the  furtherance  of  the 
Master's  Kingdom  found  a  hearty  response  in  the 
Convention.  The  great  State  Sunday  School  Con- 
vention came  to  regard  this  not  as  a  mere  expression 
of  difference  and  indifference  formed,  fostered  and 
encouraged  to  hinder,  but  an  arm  of  might  and  of 
power,  intended  to  strengthen  the  forces  in  Zion  and 
hasten  that  day  when  "the  kingdoms  of  this  world 
are  become  the  kingdoms  of  our  Lord  and  of  His 
Christ." 

The  New  Hope  Sunday  School  Convention. 

The  New  Hope  Sunday  School  Convention  was 
organized  by  Revs.  L.  H.  Hackney  and  M.  W.  Brown 
in  the  year  1877.  The  object  of  this  Convention 
was  for  the  purpose  of  strengthening  the  weaker 
schools,  helping  to  prosecute  missionary  enterprises, 
and  building  up  a  secondary  school  within  its  bounds 
for  the  better  education  of  the  young  men,  women 
and  children.     After  the  organization  had  grown  to 


136  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

the  number  of  thirty-five  schools,  with  a  member- 
ship of  twenty-five  hundred,  a  school  site  was  pur- 
chased at  New  Hill,  N.  C.  Not  only  did  this  Con- 
vention provide  for  the  young  people  within  their 
own  bounds  but  many  other  similar  enterprises,  to- 
gether with  missionary  objects  and  charity,  receive 
help,  and  hence  the  Conventions  as  well  as  the  Asso- 
ciations contribute  generously  from  "time  to  time. 

The  Western  North  Carolina  Sunday  School 
Convention. 

The  Western  North  Carolina  Sunday  School  Con- 
vention was  composed  of  the  larger  number  of  the 
Sunday  Schools  within  the  territory  of  North  Caro- 
lina west  of  the  Blue  Ridge  Mountains. 

The  object  of  this  Convention,  as  set  forth  in  its 
Constitution,  was  for  educational  and  missionary 
purposes,  especially  in  the  Sunday  Schools  and 
churches  of  the  Blue  Ridge  section.  In  1891  the 
Western  Convention  agreed  to  unite  with  the  regular 
State  Convention  of  Sunday  School  workers,  which 
held  its  annual  session  of  that  year  in  the  city  of 
Charlotte.  Prof.  E.  H.  Lipscombe  came  from  the 
Western  Convention  as  its  first  representative. 

The  representative  was  received  with  open  arms, 
and  the  day  was  hailed  with  gladness  when  the  wall 
of  separation  between  the  two  Conventions  was 
broken  down.  Mr.  Lipscombe  made  a  strong  appeal 
for  aid  for  his  mountain  section,  and  the  Convention 


Sunday  School  Conventions.  137 

responded  gladly  to  the  appeal.  They  agreed  to  give 
support  in  part  to  a  missionary  to  do  Sunday  School 
mission  and  colportage  work  in  that  section  of  the 
State. 

Prof.  Lipscombe  was  named  as  the  missionary  for 
the  Blue  Ridge  section  and  served  several  years  in 
that  capacity,  doing  acceptable  work  in  the  spread 
of  gospel  literature  and  awakening  an  interest 
throughout  that  region  for  the  uplift  of  the  Master's 
cause. 

At  that  time  there  were  about  seven  thousand  Bap- 
tists beyond  the  mountains.  Compared  with  their 
numbers  they  gave  much  aid  to  the  missionary.  One 
great  hindrance,  as  in  the  eastern  section  of  the 
State,  it  seemed  hard  to  get  the  proper  union  and 
cooperation  of  the  few  scattered  here  and  there  in  the 
mountain  fastnesses  and  made  the  work  of  the  mis- 
sionary quite  difficult.  The  President  and  officers 
of  the  Western  Convention  were  in  hearty  sympathy 
with  the  Sunday  School  missionary  work,  and  did 
much  to  foster  the  spirit  of  missions.  Much  of  the 
same  difficulties  were  met  with  by  the  white  brethren 
in  trying  to  do  work  in  the  mountain  section  of  the 
State,  but  being  much  abler  and  having  superior  ad- 
vantages made  better  headway. 

At  that  time  too  there  was  considerable  division 
even  in  that  small  company  of  Baptists.  A  conten- 
tion over  the  literature  and  over  the  two  Foreign 
Mission  Conventions  had  reached  that  section  and 
stood  somewhat  in  the  way  of  the  proper  union.  "With 


138  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

the  growth  of  time  so  much  of  the  bitterness  which 
at  first  existed  passed  away,  and  a  spirit  of  union  be- 
gan to  grow,  which  meant  better  churches  and  Sun- 
day Schools.  Rev.  J.  R.  Nelson,  of  Asheville,  and 
Rev.  A.  H.  Wilson,  of  Waynesville,  were  leading 
spirits  for  many  years  both  in  the  church  and  Sun- 
day School  work,  although  the  foundation  for  Bap- 
tist work  in  the  Blue  Ridge  section  was  laid  by  the 
Hemphills.  As  the  successor  of  Rev.  Rumley,  a  sen- 
sational divine  of  his  day,  Rev.  J.  R.  Nelson  held 
the  Second  Church  in  Asheville,  which  gave  him  a 
conspicuous  place  in  the  affairs  of  the  colored  Bap- 
tists of  the  Blue  Ridge,  and  he  held  it  successfully 
for  many  years.  He  did  much  to  shape  the  policy 
and  work  of  the  churches  and  Conventions. 

Rev.  Wilson,  holding  some  of  the  most  prominent 
churches  in  the  mountains,  and  especially  the  church 
at  Waynesville,  gave  him  an  opportunity  for  special 
usefulness,  and  in  many  respects  he  used  his  oppor- 
tunities to  advantage.  Many  of  the  Baptists  of  the 
Blue  Ridge  section  have  come  from  South  Carolina 
and  other  States,  which  to  some  extent  alienated 
them  from  the  regular  Conventions  of  the  State. 
And  too,  for  the  most  part,  the  churches  were  small, 
the  revenues  comparatively  little,  which  did  much  tc 
discourage  the  proper  affiliation  with  the  eastern 
brethren.  Be  it  said  to  the  credit  of  the  eastern 
brethren,  they  entertained  a  deep  sympathy  and  in- 
terest in  the  brethren  of  the  distant  western  section 


Sunday  School  Conventions.  139 

of  North  Carolina,  and  let  no  opportunity  pass  them 
to  render  assistance,  as  was  demonstrated  in  the 
Charlotte  Convention  toward  Prof.  Lipscombe,  the 
representative  from  that  section.  In  several  in- 
stances leading  brethren  from  the  east  volunteered 
their  services  and  crossed  the  mountains  bearing 
light,  intelligence  and  encouragement  to  their  more 
needy  brethren  beyond. 

Kenansville  Eastern  Sunday    School    Conven- 
tion. 

This  Convention  was  organized  at  Williams's  Cross 
Roads,  four  miles  east  of  Warsaw,  under  the  auspices 
of  the  Baptist  State  Sunday  School  Convention.  A. 
J.  Stanford,  of  Warsaw,  and  A.  R.  Middleton,  of 
Kenansville,  being  the  auxiliaries  for- the  State  Con- 
vention in  that  section,  felt  that  more  effective  Sun- 
day School  work  could  be  done  by  such  an  organiza- 
tion and  took  the  leading  part  in  its  organization. 
The  number  of  schools  and  members  of  the  different 
Sunday  Schools  uniting  with  the  movement  showed 
the  wisdom  of  such  a  convention.  From  the  few  in 
the  beginning  it  soon  grew  to  forty-three  schools, 
representing  a  membership  of  three  thousand.  At 
one  time  the  Convention  sent  twenty-five  dollars  for 
the  support  of  Rev.  J.  O.  Hayes  in  Africa.  They 
took  the  leading  part  in  the  purchase  of  the  school 
site  at  Faison  at  a  cost  of  fifteen  hundred  dollars. 


140  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

Northeast  and  Cape  Fear  Sunday  School  Con- 
vention. 

At  the  annual  session  of  the  Middle  District  Asso- 
ciation Convention  a  resolution  prevailed  to  organ- 
ize a  Sunday  School  Convention  in  connection  with 
the  Association.  In  1879  this  Convention  was  or- 
ganized. It  was  through  the  incentive  of  the  Con- 
vention, as  in  the  instance  of  the  Kenansville  Asso- 
ciation and  Convention,  that  the  school,  the  property 
of  the  Association,  had  its  origin.  Together  with 
the  Association  seven  hundred  dollars  are  raised  an- 
nually and  appropriated  to  the  Burgaw  High  School. 
Some  local  missionary  and  even  State  missionary 
work  is  done  also  through  the  Convention.  Much 
light  and  inspiration  has  been  infused  into  the  Sun- 
day School  and  church  work  throughout  the  entire 
section  in  which  the  Convention  is  located,  and  to- 
gether with  the  State  Convention  of  which  the  North- 
east and  Cape  Fear  is  an  auxiliary  our  Foreign  Mis- 
sion work  was  aided.  As  in  other  sections  of  the 
State  the  future  development  and  improvement  in 
the  ministry  and  church  work  generally  depended  on 
the  Sunday  School,  so  in  the  Cape  Fear  section,  and 
this  Convention,  the  child  of  the  Middle  District  As- 
sociation, became  the  central  light. 

The  Chowan  Sunday  School  Convention. 

The  Chowan  Sunday  School  Convention  was  or- 
ganized in  1884-  and  is  composed  of  the  Sunday 
Schools  largely  of  Hertford    County.     While    this 


Sunday  School  Conventions.  141 

Convention  does  other  work,  it  is  practically  giving 
its  strength  to  the  aid  of  the  Waters  Normal  Insti- 
tute of  Winton,  H.  C.  No  Convention  of  its  kind 
in  the  State  raised  as  much  money  as  the  Chowan 
Convention.  While  the  regular  State  Convention  re- 
quired only  two  cents  per  capita  the  Chowan  Con- 
vention required  three  cents.  The  constitution 
states  that  the  Treasurer  of  the  Waters  Institute 
should  be  the  Treasurer  of  the  Convention.  The 
Convention  did  a  splendid  work  for  the  cause  of  the 
institution  it  fostered,  and  made  splendid  offerings 
in  its  behalf. 

Since  it  required  all  the  energy  of  that  section  of 
the  State  to  make  Waters  Normal  School  what  it 
was,  and  since  it  was  the  moral,  intellectual  and  re- 
ligious development  of  so  many  who  afterward  be- 
come proficient  and  active  in  Sunday  School  work, 
doubtless  the  Convention  served  its  highest  and  best 
purpose  by  giving  its  strength  and  support  in  this 
direction. 

The  collections  have  amounted  to  eight  hundred 
dollars  in  a  single  year.  The  Convention  has  fos- 
tered different  missionary  and  charitable  objects, 
and  in  that  respect  as  well  as  educational  has  done 
much  good  in  the  cause  of  humanity. 

But  little  time  was  given  to  the  literary  work  or 
to  a  fixed  program  as  its  session  was  usually  but 
one  or  two  days  at  most.  The  time  was  largely  taken 
with  money  raising  to  advance  the  objects  men- 
tioned,  and  this  seemed  to  give  entire  satisfaction 


142  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

to  the  different  representatives.  A  kindly  spirited 
competition  is  not  only  in  the  churches  composing 
the  West  Roanoke  Association,  of  which  this  Con- 
vention forms  a  part,  but  in  the  Convention  itself. 
There  is  usually  a  sermon  and  other  papers  on  these 
occasions.  It  may  be  said  of  this  Convention  and 
the  Association  through  their  financial  aid  to 
Waters  and  its  other  benefactions,  a  centre  of  edu- 
cation gets  its  support,  which  did  more  than  all  the 
agencies  to  cause  "the  wilderness  to  blossom  as  the 
rose." 

The  Baptist  Young  People's  Union  Association 
of  North  Cakolina. 

In  connection  with  the  Baptist  State  Sunday 
School  Convention,  which  met  with  the  First  Baptist 
Church  and  Sunday  School  of  Raleigh,  1ST.  C,  in 
September,  1900,  a  meeting  was  called  to  consider 
the  advisability  of  organizing  a  Baptist  Young  Peo- 
ple's Union  Association.  After  some  deliberation  it 
was  decided  to  organize  such  an  association,  which 
should  meet  annually  in  connection  with  the  meeting 
of  the  Sunday  School  Convention.  Mr.  J.  P.  Wil- 
liams, Business  Manager  of  the  Baptist  Sentinel,  was 
elected  first  President;  Miss  C.  F.  Blount,  of  Wil- 
mington, Secretary ;  Miss  Emma  W.  Sasser,  of 
Goldsboro,  Corresponding  Secretary  and  State  Or- 
ganizer; J.  1ST.  Coats,  of  Seaboard,  Treasurer. 

The  object  of  this  organization,  as  stated  in  the 
Constitution,  was  the  "Unification   of    the  Baptist 


Sunday  School  Conventions.  143 

young  people,  their  increased  spirituality;  theii 
stimulation  in  Christian  service;  their  edification  in 
scripture  knowledge ;  their  instruction  in  Baptist 
history  and  doctrine,  and  their  enlistment  in  mis- 
sionary activity  through  existing  denominational  or- 
ganizations." 

Miss  Sasser  traveled  in  nearly  every  section  of  the 
State  and  organized  a  number  of  unions,  some  oi 
which  became  greatly  helpful,  not  only  to  the  State 
organization,  but  to  the  local  Sunday  Schools  and 
churches.  Her  tenure  of  office  was  of  short  duration, 
and  Rev.  A.  B.  Vincent,  who  had  much  experience 
in  the  church  and  Sunday  School  work,  was  ap- 
pointed to  succeed  her.  Rev.  Vincent  served  but  a 
year,  and  left  the  work  to  enter  the  pastorate.  The 
growth  of  the  B.  Y.  P.  U.  work  was  slow  because  of 
the  lack  of  an  organizer  after  the  two  mentioned  had 
given  up  the  work.  Mr.  Williams  was  succeeded  by 
Dr.  C.  C.  Somerville,  of  Charlotte,  as  President. 
Dr.  Somerville  served  but  a  year,  not  sufficiently  long 
to  do  much  in  the  way  of  building  up  the  work.  He 
was  succeeded  in  the  session  at  Fayetteville  by  Mr. 
E.  J.  Young.  Mr.  Young  gave  some  attention  to 
the  unions  and  to  the  organization  of  new  unions 
but  his  efforts  were  comparatively  feeble,  being  en- 
cumbered with  business  enterprises. 

At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Association  Rev.  W. 
H.  Knuckles  was  elected  Corresponding  Secretary 
and  State  Organizer.  He  gave  some  of  his  spare 
time  to  the  organization  of  new  unions  and  visited 


144  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

some  of  the  old  unions,  which  added  some  strength 
to  the  B.  Y.  P.  U.  work  in  the  State,  and  yet,  after 
ten  years  of  existence,  its  progress  was  far  from 
what  its  friends  had  anticipated  and  hoped. 

Wherever  unions  were  organized  and  kept  up  they 
proved  a  great  blessing  in  many  respects,  but  their 
slow  growth  to  some  extent  was  due  to  the  fact  that 
many  of  the  churches  felt  burdened  with  organiza- 
tions and  to  some  extent  the  young  people  felt  dis- 
couraged. 

The  work  did  not  promise  sufficient  salary  to  keep 
a  representative  on  the  field,  and  yet  the  success 
which  attended  the  efforts  which  had  been  made  in 
the  ten  years  of  its  history  gave  assurances  thai 
greater  effort  would  bring  decided  improvement  and 
helpfulness  to  the  Baptist  cause  in  the  State  in  gen- 
eral. The  objects,  as  set  forth  in  the  constitution, 
from  the  little  that  had  been  accomplished  proved 
to  be  of  the  greatest  necessity,  and  in  the  session  at 
Greensboro  a  united  effort  was  made  to  prosecute 
the  work  with  greator  vigor  than  ever. 

The  result  of  the  work  of  the  Corresponding  Sec- 
retary, Rev.  W.  H.  Knuckles,  for  the  year  which 
came  to  a  close  at  the  annual  meeting  of  the  organi- 
zation at  Smithfield,  1ST.  C,  showed  that  the  vigor- 
ous service  was  not  without  splendid  results;  the  re- 
port of  the  Corresponding  Secretary  showed  that 
more  unions  had  been  organized  throughout  the 
State,  inquiries  of  plans  for  organization  and  a  gen- 
eral revival  in  the  unions  already  organized. 


Sunday  School  Conventions.  145 

Conditions  were  so  flattering  through  the  efforts 
of  Secretary  Knuckles  the  State  B.  Y.  P.  TJ.  elected 
him  as  President  of  the  organization.  The  watch- 
word of  the  meeting  was  "More  Unions  and  Better 
Unions."  From  the  outlook  the  friends  of  the  or- 
ganization were  assured  that  North  Carolina  would 
soon  take  her  place  in  the  foremost  ranks  in  this 
splendid  work  among  the  Baptist  young  people. 


10 


CHAPTER  IX. 

SHAW  UNIVERSITY.* 

Shaw  University  «is  situated  in  Raleigh,  the  capi- 
tal of  the  State.  It  has  a  beautiful  location  within 
the  city  limits,  and  a  few  minutes'  walk  from  the 
Union  Station,  the  Capitol  and  the  United  States 
Government  building. 

Although  within  the  city  limits,  it  has  an  entire 
square  to  itself,  quiet  and  secluded  as  if  it  were  situ- 
ated miles  away  in  the  country.  This  quiet  and  se- 
clusion, together  with  a  bountiful  supply  of  pure 
water,  perfect  sanitation,  sewerage  and  other  city 
advantages,  make  Shaw  well-nigh  an  ideal  place  for 
study.  Its  grounds  are  spacious  and  well  kept,  and 
its  principal  buildings  large,  imposing  brick  struc- 
tures. There  are  25  buildings  in  all  owned  by  the 
institution ;  seven  of  them  are  large  brick  structures 
and  eight  are  dwellings  that  are  rented  by  the  in- 
stitution, the  income  from  which  is  devoted  to  the 
aid  of  needy  and  meritorious  students. 

This  institution  of  learning,  that  has  done  so  much 
in  uplifting  our  race  in  North  Carolina  and  in  all 
the  other  States  of  the  Union  where  our  people  are 
found  in  considerable  numbers,  was  established  by 
Henry  Martin  Tupper. 

Rev.  Henry  Martin  Tupper,  D.D.,  was  a  native 

*The  editor  is  indebted  to  Rev.  H.  L.  Morehouse,  D.D., 
Corresponding  Secretary  of  the  American  Baptist  Home  Mis- 
sion Society,  New  York,  and  President  Charles  Francis  Meserve, 
L  L.D.,  of  Shaw  University,  Raleigh,  N.  C,  for  the  data  con- 
tained in  this  chapter. 


Shaw  University.  147 

of  Monson,  Mass.  His  boyhood  was  passed  upon 
his  father's  farm  in  the  outskirts  of  the  town;  his 
parents  were  not  Christians ;  he  attended  neither 
church  nor  Sabbath  School,  and  the  district  school  for 
only  a  short  term  during  the  winter ;  but  possessing 
a  thirst  for  knowledge  he  read  books  and  papers  that 
came  in  his  way  with  great  avidity  and  while  a  mere 
lad  had  decided  convictions  upon  the  subject  of 
slavery. 

In  his  eighteenth  year  he  entered  Monson  Acad- 
emy, where  he  fitted  for  college,  and  while  in  the 
academy  was  converted. 

As  he  was  dependent  upon  his  own  exertions  for 
means  to  obtain  an  education  he  frequently  taught 
school,  and  while  thus  engaged  in  a  town  in  New 
Jersey  he  became  so  impressed  with  his  duty  to  be 
immersed  that  one  Sunday  afternoon  he  walked 
twenty  miles  to  the  nearest  Baptist  Church  and  asked 
for  baptism.  Having  received  it,  he  returned  to  his 
work  Monday  morning,  and  later  united  with  the 
Baptist  Church  in  Wales,  Mass. 

After  leaving  the  academy  he  went  to  Amherst 
College,  graduated  in  1859 ;  then  entered  ISTewton 
Theological  Institution,  where  he  was  graduated 
June  26,  1862,  on  the  day  of  the  battle  of  Fair 
Oaks. 

Soon  after  Governor  Andrew,  of  Massachusetts, 
issued  a  call  for  men  to  "carry  the  musket,"  stating 
that  there  was  already  a  surplus  of  officers,  and  on 
the  fourteenth  of  July  he  enlisted  as  a  soldier;   a 


148  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

few  days  afterward  he  was  ordained  and  joined  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac  about  the  time  of  the  battles 
of  South  Mountain  and  Antietam ;  he  was  in  the 
battle  of  Fredericksburg  and  followed  the  Ninth 
Army  Corps  into  Kentucky;  was  in  the  campaign 
against  Vieksburg  and  in  the  raid  upon  Jackson. 
Mississippi,  under  General  Sherman.  In  one  en- 
gagement a  shell  burst  so  near  his  face  that  it 
scorched  his  flesh;  but,  though  others  at  the  right 
and  the  left  were  killed  by  the  flying  pieces,  he  was 
providentially  spared  to  do  his  great  life-work. 

Although  a  private  soldier  he  was  constantly  en- 
gaged in  Christian  work,  holding  meetings  among 
the  men,  writing  letters  for  the  sick  and  wounded 
and  often  performing  the  duties  of  chaplain.  Dur- 
ing these  years  he  also  found  many  opportunities  of 
becoming  acquainted  with  the  colored  people  who 
flocked  to  the  camps,  and  of  studying  their  condition 
and  needs. 

While  a  student  he  had  been  deeply  impressed 
with  a  desire  to  labor  as  a  missionary  in  Africa ;  and 
when  in  college  had  a  large  Sunday  School  class  of 
colored  youths.  While  in  the  seminary  he  was  em- 
ployed as  a  Sunday  School  missionary  in  Boston  by 
the  Dudley  Street  Baptist  Church,  laboring  more 
especially  among  the  foreign  element.  Thus  Provi- 
dence had  already  opened  the  way  for  him  to  obtain 
a  varied  and  practical  experience  in  missionary  work. 
But  the  opening  up  of  the  South  as  a  field  for  mis- 
sionary effort  had  modified  his  views  in  reference 


Shaw  University.  149 

to  going  to  Africa,  though  he  had  not  as  yet  formu- 
lated any  definite  plans  as  to  how  or  where  he  should 
labor. 

A  few  weeks  after  the  cessation  of  hostilities,  and 
previous  to  his  discharge  from  the  army,  he  received 
a  commission  from  the  American  Baptist  Home 
Mission  Society  to  go  South  as  a  missionary  to  the 
"freedmen"  and  to  select  his  own  field.  This  com- 
mission, coming  as  it  did  entirely  unsolicited,  was 
regarded  by  him  as  the  finger  of  Providence  pointing 
to  the  home  field.  After  due  deliberation  he  decided 
upon  Kaleigh,  North  Carolina,  as  a  central  point  for 
missionary  operations.  He  was  discharged  from  the 
army  July  14,  1865,  and  on  the  first  of  the  follow- 
ing October  started  with  his  wife  for  Raleigh.  After 
a  tedious  journey  occupying  nearly  a  week,  owing 
to  broken  lines  of  travel,  they  reached  Raleigh  Oc- 
tober 10th,  having  purchased  tickets  Nos.  1  and  2  at 
Portsmouth,  Va.,  and  taking  the  first  train  that  had 
passed  over  the  Seaboard  route  since  the  close  of  the 
war. 

The  day  following  his  arrival  Dr.  Tupper  called 
upon  the  pastor  of  the  Baptist  Church,  presented 
his  credentials  and  made  known  his  mission.  Of 
course  at  that  early  date  cooperation  was  not  to  be 
expected.  It  is  true  that  hostilities  had  ceased,  but 
the  bitterness  that  war  had  engendered  was  not 
easily  overcome  and  several  years  elapsed  before 
much  fraternal  feeling  was  developed. 

Without  waiting  for  further  recognition  he  at  once 


150  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

commenced  his  work  among  the  colored  people,  whose 
condition  he  found  pitiable  in  the  extreme.  They 
were  poor  and  destitute ;  many  of  them  were  refu- 
gees who  had  followed  the  army,  and  were  literally 
houseless  and  homeless.  Having  been  in  the  army, 
he  was  especially  able  to  aid  them  in  procuring  food 
and  clothing  from  the  Freedmen's  Bureau,  and  at 
one  time  had  upon  his  list  175  persons  over  75  years 
of  age  whom  he  regularly  assisted  in  obtaining  "ra- 
tions." 

But  there  was  no  place  where  the  people  could  be 
gathered  for  religious  instruction  except  under  the 
shelter  of  a  neighboring  tree  or  in  their  low,  dark, 
comfortless  cabins. 

From  his  diary  we  quote  the  following:  "Decem- 
ber 1st.  Visited  six  families;  held  a  prayer  meet- 
ing; heard  my  theological  class."  Thus  December 
1,  1865,  dates  the  humble  beginning  of  the  educa- 
tional work  of  which  the  present  Shaw  University 
is  the  outgrowth. 

Aisr  Humble  Origin. 

Shaw  University  was  started  in  a  very  humble 
way  in  a  negro  cabin  on  the  outskirts  of  the  city. 
The  enterprise  grew  and  larger  buildings  became 
necessary,  but  there  was  little  money  either  for  car- 
rying on  or  extending  the  work.  Accordingly  with 
a  few  faithful  helpers  day  after  day  he  shouldered 
his  axe  and  went  out  of  the  city  into  the  woods,  and 
together  they  felled  huge  pines  and  hewed  the  logs 


Shaw  University.  151 

into  timber.  After  many  weeks  of  struggling  and 
after  receiving  a  little  help  from  the  North,  the 
actual  work  of  building  began.  A  large  two-story 
structure  to  be  used  both  for  a  church  and  a  school 
was  finally  erected  on  Blount  street,  a  block  north  ol 
the  present  location  of  the  University. 

The  work  continued  to  grow  and  again  larger 
quarters  were  required.  At  this  juncture  the  man- 
sion and  grounds  of  the  late  General  Barringer,  ex- 
minister  to  Spain,  were  for  sale.  This  property, 
comprising  several  buildings  and  12  acres  of  land, 
and  occupying  an  entire  square,  was  purchased  at  a 
cost  of  $13,000.  Of  this  sum  $5,000  was  pledged 
by  the  Hon.  Elijah  Shaw,  of  Wales,  Mass.,  whose 
honored  name  the  institution  so  appropriately  bears. 

Dr.  Tupper  spent  considerable  time  in  the  North 
raising  money  to  complete  the  payment  on  the  pur- 
chase of  the  Barringer  property.  In  order  to  aid  the 
students  and  to  teach  them  the  importance  of  self- 
help  he  commenced  in  the  spring  of  1871  the  manu- 
facture of  brick  from  clay  found  upon  the  premises. 
The  amount  netted  from  the  brick  enterprise  the 
first  year,  clear  of  all  expenses,  in  addition  to  brick 
used  in  building,  was  between  $3,000  and  $4,000 
which  was  applied  toward  the  erection  of  buildings. 

Estey  Hall. 

The  aim  of  the  society  at  first  was  mainly  to  pro- 
vide schools  for  the  training  of  ministers  and  young 
men  as  Christian  workers.     But  Dr.   Tupper  early 


152  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

perceived  that  the  education  of  young  women  was 
of  equal  importance  and  in  1870  he  received  a  few 
coming  from  different  parts  of  the  State,  obtaining 
rooms  and  board  for  them  in  private  families.  When 
he  first  proposed  educating  young  women  the  idea 
did  not  meet  with  much  favor.  It  was  looked  upon 
as  a  doubtful  if  not  an  unwise  step.  In  the  mean- 
time the  number  applying  for  admission  continued 
to  increase  until  in  the  spring  of  1872  he  determined 
again  to  appeal  to  Northern  friends  for  aid,  and  for 
two  months  held  a  daily  prayer  meeting  with  the 
students,  asking  the  Lord  to  open  the  way  that  suit- 
able accommodations  might  be  furnished  for  a  female 
department.  The  following  summer  he  went  North 
and  was  so  far  successful  in  obtaining  the  necessary 
funds  that  upon  his  return  in  the  fall  he  commenced 
a  dormitory  for  girls,  which  was  afterward  named 
Estey  Hall  in  honor  of  Deacon  Jacob  Estey  and  sons 
of  Brattleboro,  Vermont,  who  gave  $8,000  toward 
its  erection. 

This  was  the  first  effort  of  the  denomination  in 
gathering  colored  girls  into  a  boarding  school,  and 
the  Estey  building  was  the  first  school  edifice  of  any 
considerable  size  in  the  South  erected  solely  for  the 
accommodation  of  colored  women  for  their  Christian 
development  and  education. 

Shaw  was  incorporated  in  1875.  At  that  time  the 
work  was  more  elementary  than  now,  but  such  as 
was  adapted  to  the  needs  of  the  people.  The  man- 
agement, however,  has  kept  pace  constantly  with  the 


Shaw  University.  153 

progress  of  the  race  and  the  demand  of  the  times 
until  there  are  today  in  addition  to  normal,  college 
and  industrial  departments,  schools  of  theology,  law, 
medicine  and  pharmacy. 

An  Anxious  Night. 

In  the  early  days  there  were  trying  times  and 
there  was  no  social  recognition  of  President  Tupper. 
his  devoted  wife  and  associates  on  the  part  of  the 
white  people  of  the  city  and  State.  President  Tup- 
per and  wife  spent  a  night  in  a  corn  field  in  the  rear 
of  their  humble  cabin,  having  been  threatened  by  the 
Ku  Klux.  Every  moment  of  these  hours  of  anxious 
suspense  they  expected  to  see  the  flames  consume 
their  home  and  all  their  earthly  effects,  but  a  kind, 
all-wise  Providence  guarded  them  through  the  long 
night  watches,  and  when  the  welcome  dawn  tardily 
appeared  the  humble  cabin  was  still  standing  and 
in  devout  thanksgiving  they  returned  to  its  kindly 
shelter.  The  animosity  and  bitterness  of  the  post- 
bellum  and  reconstruction  days  are  happily  things 
of  the  past,  and  the  work  now  goes  smoothly  on  with 
the  respect  of  the  community,  and  at  times  there  is 
genuine  sympathy  and  helpful  cooperation. 

A  Noble  Cabeer  Ended. 

On  the  12th  of  November,  1893,  after  a  prolonged 
illness,  Dr.  Tupper  breathed  his  last.  His  funeral, 
was  one  of  the  largest  ever  attended  in  the  city  of 
Raleigh,  and  the  esteem  in  which  he  was  held  was 


154  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

evidenced  by  the  large  concourse  of  people  of  both 
races  that  assembled  on  the  Shaw  campus  to  pay 
their  respect  to  his  memory  and  in  recognition  oi 
the  work  that  he  had  done.  His  remains  lie  on  the 
campus,  in  front  of  Shaw  Hall,  a  fitting  resting 
place  for  the  hero  who  had  given  more  than  a  quarter 
of  a  century  of  the  best  part  of  his  life  in  the  city  of 
Raleigh  to  the  uplifting  of  our  race  and  for  the  bet- 
terment of  the  State  in  which  he  and  his  devoted 
wife  had  for  so  many  years  cast  their  lot. 

The  Second  President  of  Shaw  University. 

On  the  17th  of  March,  1894,  Charles  Francis  Me- 
serve,  a  native  of  Abington,  Plymouth  County, 
Massachusetts,  took  up  the  work  where  Dr.  Tupper 
laid  it  down.  President  Meserve  had  been  engaged 
in  educational  work  in  the  New  England  States  for 
many  years,  but  for  some  years  immediately  preced- 
ing his  coming  to  Raleigh  he  had  been  Superintend- 
ent and  Special  Disbursing  Agent  of  Haskell  Insti- 
tute at  Lawrence,  Kansas,  at  that  time  the  largest 
United  States  Indian  Industrial  Training  School  in 
the  West.  He  had  served  five  years  in  this  capacity 
and  was  expecting  to  continue  indefinitely.  When 
the  call  came  for  him  to  take  up  the  work  laid  down 
by  Dr.  Tupper,  he  felt  that  he  could  not  consider  it- 
He  was  urged  by  the  officers  of  the  American  Baptist 
Home  Mission  Society  to  visit  Shaw  University  and 
look  over  the  field  and  see  the  magnificent  oppor- 
tunity to  continue  the  work  of  uplifting  our  race  so 


Shaw  University.  155 

recently  in  slavery  and  that  had  made  such  marvel- 
ous progress  during  the  brief  time  we  had  been  on 
the  road  to  freedom.  He  was  so  impressed  upon 
visiting  Shaw  with  the  importance  and  need  of  the 
work,  aside  from  the  fact  that  he  was  loyally  devoted 
to  the  missionary  and  educational  work  of  his  de- 
nomination, that  he  consented  to  resign  his  impor- 
tant civil  service  position  in  Kansas  and  take  up  the 
work  as  President  of  Shaw  University. 

Improvements. 

During  the  fifteen  years  that  have  elapsed  since  he 
came  to  Raleigh  he  has  given  his  entire  time  and 
strength  to  the  various  departments  of  the  institu- 
tion, endeavoring  to  build  it  up  both  in  the  esteem 
of  the  colored  and  white  people  of  the  South  as  well 
as  the  people  of  the  Xorth.  During  these  years  sub- 
stantial, material  and  spiritual  progress  has  been 
made.  Modern  sanitation  has  been  introduced 
throughout  the  institution  and  a  central  hot  water 
heating  plant  installed,  and  most  of  the  large  build- 
ings have  been  connected  with  this  central  plant. 
Aside  from  these  important  improvements  the  build- 
ings generally  have  been  repaired  and  renovated  and 
put  in  a  more  modern  condition.  A  large  addition 
has  been  made  to  the  girls'  building  to  provide  better 
facilities  for  instruction  in  cooking,  sewing,  dress- 
making, laundry  work  and  all  other  domestic  arts. 
The  girls'  department  is  now  well  equipped  and  well 
nigh  perfect.     A  large  building  known  as  the  Tup 


156  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

per  Memorial,  to  be  used  as  a  men's  industrial  de- 
partment, was  completed  last  year,  a  fitting  me- 
morial to  one  who  was  reared  on  a  New  England 
farm  and  who  was  so  closely  in  sympathy  all  through 
his  life  with  the  industrial  ideas  that  are  so  essen- 
tial to  the  development  and  support  of  any  race. 

The  attendance  has  increased  until  it  has  been 
necessary  for  the  last  three  years  to  refuse  many  ap- 
plicants for  lack  of  room.  Last  year  the  enrollment 
was  526  and  the  disbursements  of  the  institution 
more  than  $42,000.  The  average  age  of  the  students 
was  nearly  twenty-three  and  one-half  years. 

An  interesting  feature  of  the  work  is  the  develop- 
ment of  self-help  on  the  part  of  our  people  them- 
selves. The  General  Education  Society  in  New 
York  pledged  $13,000  for  additional  buildings  on 
condition  that  the  colored  people  would  raise  $5,000 
additional.  J.  A.  Whitted,  Corresponding  Secretary 
of  the  Baptist  State  Convention,  was  appointed  Ei 
nancial  Agent,  and  in  two  years  of  faithful  and  per- 
sistent work,  traveling  up  and  down  the  State,  se- 
cured more  than  was  necessary.  This  money  was 
used  in  the  erection  of  the  Tupper  Memorial  and 
an  addition  to  Estey  Hall,  the  girls'  dormitory. 

Another  important  addition  is  the  enlargement  of 
the  Administration  Building  and  the  extending  of 
the  heating  system  to  this  building.  This  was  made 
possible  by  a  gift  of  $2,500  from  a  generous  friend 
in  the  North,  assisted  by  several  other  donors  and 
the  American  Baptist  Home  Mission  Society.     The 


Shaw  University.  157 

urgent  need  at  the  present  time  is  equipment  for  the 
Tupper  Memorial,  a  portion  of  the  money  for  which 
is  already  in  hand,  and  the  erection  of  a  larger  hos- 
pital and  a  laboratory  for  the  Medical  Department. 

All  the  departments  have  grown  through  the  year* 
and  there  has  been  a  growing  confidence  on  the  part 
of  the  public  in  the  work  done  by  all  departments  of 
the  institution.  There  is  a  kindly  attitude  on  the 
part  of  the  leading  white  people  of  the  city  toward 
the  work.  One  of  Raleigh's  leading  citizens  re- 
marked not  long  ago  that  they  felt  safe  as  long  as 
Shaw  University  was  located  in  their  midst. 

More  than  7,000  students  of  both  sexes  have  been 
enrolled  at  Shaw  University  since  the  work  was  be- 
gun by  Dr.  Tupper  in  the  autumn  of  1865. 

Over  300  men  and  women  have  been  graduated 
from  the  Normal,  College  and  Theological  Depart- 
ments. 

The  first  class  was  sent  out  by  Shaw  University 
in  1878  and  consisted  of  the  following: 

Henry   Clay   Crosby Plymouth, 

Caesar    Johnson    Raleigh. 

Nicholas   F.    Roberts Raleigh. 

Ezekiel   E.    Smith Fayetteville. 

Frederick  H.  Wilkins.  .  .Honey  Grove,  Texas. 
Louis  H.  Wyche. Williamsboro. 

Of  the  more  than  300  graduates  a  large  number 
have  taken  the  Theological  Course  and  have  become 
ministers  of  power  and  influence  in  various  parts  of 
the  South. 


158  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

Leonard  Medical  School. 

The  Leonard  Medical  School  was  established  in 
1880.  The  first  class  was  graduated  in  1886  and 
consisted  of  the  following  men: 

M.   S.   G.  Abbott Pensacola,   Fla. 

James  H.  Bugg Savannah,  Ga. 

M.    T.    Pope.  . Raleigh. 

A.   T.  Prince Beaufort,  S.   C, 

L.    A.    Scruggs Southern   Pines 

J.    T.    Williams Charlotte. 

Three  hundred  and  one  men  have  been  sent  out  with 
the  degree  of  M.D.  and  are  practicing  in  a  majority 
of  the  States  of  the  Union,  and  some  have  located  in 
foreign  countries.  The  good  that  has  been  done  by 
these  medical  men  can  scarcely  be  overestimated.  It 
was  thought  at  one  time  that  colored  youths  had  not 
the  ability  to  acquire  even  an  ordinary  education, 
and  when  there  was  broached  the  subject  of  medical 
education  it  was  said  that  it  would  be  utterly  impos- 
sible to  educate  colored  men  in  medicine. 

An  interesting  feature  of  the  Leonard  Medical 
School  is  the  composition  of  the  Faculty.  From  the 
beginning  the  Faculty  has  consisted  of  Southern 
white  men  of  splendid  training  and  preparation  for 
their  work, — in  fact,  the  most  skillful  and  influential 
physicians  in  the  city  of  Raleigh.  They  have  gone 
in  and  out  for  years  before  their  students  and  it 
would  be  difficult  to  find  an  institution  of  learning 
where  there  is  a  more  devoted  feeling  of  loyalty  on 


Shaw  University.  159 

the  part  of  students  for  their  teachers.  It  will  be 
an  everlasting  monument  to  the  credit  of  the  South 
that  men  reared  in  the  South,  descendants  of  slave- 
owners, and  some  of  them  former  slave-owners  them- 
selves, took  hold  of  this  work  and  have  carried  it  on 
so  successfully  and  with  such  a  magnificent  spirit  for 
so  many  years. 

Law  School. 

While  the  Law  Department  has  never  been  large, 
43  men  have  been  graduated.  The  first  class  was 
sent  out  in  1890  and  consisted  of  one  man,  Edward 
A.  Johnson,  of  Raleigh.  Professor  Johnson  served 
for  many  years  as  the  Instructor  of  the  Law  Depart- 
ment, and  it  was  with  great  regret  that  his  resigna- 
tion was  accepted  two  years  ago  on  his  departure 
from  Raleigh  to  locate  as  a  lawyer  in  the  city  of 
New  York,  where  he  has  since  been  successful,  as  he 
was  during  his  career  in  Raleigh. 

Leonard  School  of  Pharmacy. 

The  first  class  in  the  Leonard  School  of  Pharmacy 
was  graduated  in  1893  and  consisted  of  one  man, 
George  P.  Hart,  of  Houmah,  Louisiana.  A  class 
has  been- graduated  every  year  since,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  1899,  the  total  number  of  graduates  reach-, 
ing  76. 

A  National  Work. 

The  blessing  that  Shaw  has  been  to  our  race  can 
hardly  be  estimated.     Thousands  of  young  men  and 


160  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

women  have  gone  forth  from  her  halls  into  fields  of 
usefulness  and  influence.  They  are  found  in  nearly 
every  State  and  Territory  of  the  Union,  though 
naturally  the  largest  numbers  are  found  in  the  South. 
They  are  making  their  way  in  every  walk  of  life  and 
the  majority  of  them  are  the  substantial,  influential 
leaders  of  the  race.  In  the  teaching  profession  they 
have  made  themselves  particularly  felt  as  well  as  in 
the  ministry.  At  one  time  five  of  the  seven  colored 
normal  schools  of  the  State  were  presided  over  by 
principals  who  were  Shaw  men.  Dr.  J.  O.  Crosby, 
for  some  years  President  of  the  State  Agricultural 
and  Mechanical  College  for  colored  young  men  and 
young  women,  Dr.  E.  E.  Smith,  ex-Minister  to  Li- 
beria, Hon.  H.  P.  Cheatham,  for  several  years  a 
member  of  Congress  and  a  former  Recorder  of  Deeds 
of  the  District  of  Columbia,  the  general  and  State 
missionaries  and  the  principals  of  the  secondary 
schools  of  the  denomination  in  the  State  and  in 
other  States,  as  well  as  several  of  the  professors  at 
Shaw,  are  Shaw  men. 

Prominent  in  War  as  Well  as  in  Peace. 

The  Third  North  Carolina  Regiment  of  the  United 
States  Infantry  was  composed  of  men  of  our  race, 
and  Shaw  figured  prominently  in  this  regiment.  Col. 
James  H.  Young,  Adjt.  E.  E.  Smith,  Chief  Sur- 
geon J.  E.  Dellinger,  Asst.  Surgeons  M.  T.  Pope 
and  M.  W.  Alston,  Capts.  J.  J.  Hood  and  J.  T. 
York  and  other  officers,  and  many  in  the  ranks  were 


Shaw  University.  161 

graduates  or  former  students  of  Shaw.  The  Chief 
Surgeon  and  his  assistants  and  Captain  Hood  were 
graduates  of  the  Medical  Department. 

Professional,  Schools. 

Graduates  of  the  Law  Department  go  into  court 
and  plead  their  cases  with  the  same  courteous  treat- 
ment from  judge  and  jury  as  is  accorded  to  white 
members  of  the  bar.  Success  has  also  been  won  by 
the  graduates  of  medicine  and  pharmacy,  and  they 
are  found  very  generally  throughout  the  South. 
A.  W.  Benson,  of  Atlanta,  Class  of  1895,  was  the 
first  colored  man  to  obtain  a  license  from  the  Vir- 
ginia Board  of  Pharmacy  Examiners.  His  standing 
in  examination  was  slightly  in  excess  of  95  per  cent. 
The  first  man  of  any  race  to  receive  100  per  cent  in 
an  examination  before  the  Virginia  Board  of  Medical 
Examiners  was  Dr.  C.  R.  Alexander,  of  Lynchburg, 
Class  of  1891.  He  is  located  in  Petersburg,  Vir- 
ginia, where  he  has  practiced  for  many  years  and 
has  the  confidence  and  respect  of  the  community.  He 
has  recently  established  a  hospital  that  is  being 
operated  for  the  benefit  of  the  poor  and  needy.  Dur- 
ing the  Spanish-American  War  Dr.  Alexander  was 
Chief  Surgeon  of  the  Sixth  Regiment  of  the  United 
States  Infantry  from  Virginia. 

An  Educated  Ministry. 

A  goodly  number  of  our  young  men,  as  has  been 

the  case  from  the  founding  of  the  Institution,   are 
11 


162  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

studying  for  the  ministry.  Shaw  has  furnished 
nearly  all  the  denominational  leaders  in  North  Caro- 
lina and  many  in  other  States.  In  the  gospel  minis- 
try her  greatest  influence  has  been  exerted,  for  her 
Theological  Department  has  always  been  well  at- 
tended, and  the  minister  is  still  the  influential  factor 
in  directing  the  life  of  the  great  mass  of  colored 
people  in  every  community. 

An  Educated  Laity. 

Many  of  her  former  students  are  thrifty  farmers, 
successful  business  men  and  occupy  positions  of 
honor  and  trust  in  their  respective  counties.  The 
aim  of  the  institution  from  the  very  beginning  has 
been  to  turn  out  well-equipped  Christian  men  and 
women  to  be  leaders  in  the  best  sense  of  the  term  and 
thus  indirectly  but  effectually  reach  the  great  masses 
of  the  people.  This  has  been  done  with  signal  and 
gratifying  success. 

Coeducation. 

Shaw  believes  in  coeducation.  Men  and  women 
meet  in  the  class  room,  in  the  chapel  and  around  the 
family  board  on  terms  of  equality.  The  Women's 
Department  is  known  as  Estey  Seminary.  It  was 
predicted  that  coeducation  would  be  a  dismal  and 
disgusting  failure,  but  it  should  be  said  to  the  great 
credit  of  the  race  that  there  never  has  been  a  scandal 
connected  with  the  institution.  President  Meserve 
states  that  after  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century  spent 


Shaw  University.  163 

in  educational  work  among  white  young  men  and  wo- 
men, Indian  young  men  and  women  and  colored 
young  men  and  women,  he  has  found  it  no  more  diffi- 
cult to  maintain  good  discipline  and  proper  relations 
between  the  sexes  than  he  has  in  other  fields  with 
other  races. 

A  Woeld-wibe  Influence. 

The  influence  exerted  by  Shaw  is  well-nigh  world- 
wide. At  the  present  time  she  has  students  from  the 
West  Indies  and  Africa  and  has  enrolled  them  from 
Central  and  South  America.  Although  a  home  mis- 
sion school,  her  spirit  reaches  out  to  other  lands. 
Missionary  Hayes,  the  well-known  African  mission- 
ary, was  a  Shaw  student.  Dr.  Lulu  C.  Fleming  and 
four  others  from  Shaw  have  done  missionary  work  on 
the  Congo.  A  Prince  of  the  Royal  line,  Alfred  Impy. 
a  nephew  of  King  Kama,  of  the  Kaffir  tribe  of  Cape 
Colony,  South  Africa,  was  for  some  time  a  student. 
He  came  to  Shaw  to  get  his  education,  with  the  inten- 
tion of  returning  to  do  missionary  work  at  home.  He 
was  a  fine,  manly  fellow  and,  although  he  could 
speak  and  write  English  only  indifferently  when  he 
came,  he  made  good  progress  and  his  untimely  death 
was  greatly  mourned  by  all  who  knew  him. 

It  is  worthy  of  note  that  Shaw  men  and  women  do 
not  become  criminals  and  seldom,  if  ever,  do  educated 
young  men  and  women  belong  to  the  criminal  or  law- 
less classes.  Rather  are  they  conservators  of  law  and 
order  and  preservers  of  the  peace.     Shaw  students 


164  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

and  graduates  are  as  a  rule  Christian  men  and  wo- 
men of  clean  lives,  and  some  of  them  are  earnest 
workers  in  the  cause  of  temperance  and  social  purity. 
Deplorable  indeed  would  be  the  condition  of  our 
people,  only  a  generation  from  actual  slavery,  were  it 
not  for  the  stalwart  men  and  pure  women  from  Shaw 
now  found  in  nearly  every  community,  who,  by  their 
example  and  precept,  show  the  possibilities  of  our 
race  and  exert  such  a  strong  controlling  influence  for 
good  over  the  ignorant  and  less  favored. 

High  Ideals. 

This  sketch  of  Shaw  University  and  its  work  would 
not  be  complete  did  we  not  emphasize  the  fact  that 
President  Meserve  is  holding  the  institution  up  to 
the  highest  standards  and  loftiest  ideals  and  is  keep- 
ing Shaw  in  touch  with  the  best  methods  of  the  day. 
While  there  are  college  and  normal  departments  and 
much  attention  is  given  to  the  institution  because  of 
her  professional  departments,  yet  the  industrial  idea 
is  by  no  means  put  out  of  sight.  Outside  of  the  pro- 
fessional departments  all  of  the  students  spend  half 
a  day  at  their  books  and  the  other  half  at  some  trade. 
If  you  were  to  visit  the  women's  departments  in  the 
afternoon  you  would  find  scientific  instruction  right 
up  to  date  given  to  the  girls  in  cooking,  in  dressmak- 
ing, in  sewing,  in  millinery,  and  in  all  the  arts  that 
make  the  home  what  it  should  be.  If  you  were 
to    visit    the    Tupper    Memorial,    when    completely 


Shaw  University.  165 

equipped,  you  will  find  young  men  learning  the  trade 
of  the  blacksmith,  the  mason,  the  carpenter,  and  you 
will  also  in  other  rooms  find  them  at  work  at  the 
drafting  boards,  preparing  plans  and  estimates  and 
receiving  instruction  in  all  lines  of  industrial  work, 
for  which  there  is  to-day  such  demand. 


CHAPTER  X. 

SECONDARY  BAPTIST  SCHOOLS  ESTAB- 
LISHED AND  MAINTAINED  BY  THE  NE- 
GRO BAPTISTS  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA. 

For  many  years  after  the  war  the  Negro  youth  de- 
pended largely  upon  the  public  schools  and  schools 
supported  by  the  Freedmen's  Bureau.  In  some 
places  the  Friends  (the  Quakers)  established  schools 
for  their  education.  Shaw  University  at  Raleigh 
was  the  first  school  which  promised  anything  like  a 
high  course  of  study.  We  have  already  mentioned 
the  intention  of  the  founders  of  Shaw  University  to 
prepare  men  for  the  gospel  ministry,  and  to  prepare 
men  and  women  as  teachers.  The  effort  was  a  com- 
plete success.  Some  of  the  ablest  and  best  men  who 
have  ever  gone  out  from  Shaw  were  among  the  first 
to  enter  after  its  establishment;  this  was  not  only 
true  as  ministers,  but  teachers  as  well.  The  public 
schools  over  the  State  were  largely  supplied  by  men 
and  women  from  Shaw.  Many  of  them  were  not  con- 
tent to  teach  in  the  public  schools  but  felt  the  need  of 
a  higher  training,  and  hence  they  began  here  and 
there  to  establish  high  schools.  First  among  these 
were  Alexander  Hicks,  of  Plymouth,  N.  C,  and 
E.  H.  Lipscombe,  of  Dallas,  N.  C.  The  School  at 
Plymouth,  established  by  Mr.  Hicks,  a  graduate  of 
Shaw,  developed  into  a  State  Normal  School.  Al- 
though the  Dallas  School  was  continued  for  several 


Secondary  Schools.  167 

years  and  during  its  existence  sent  out  several  teach- 
ers and  preachers,  it  was  finally  discontinued. 

Possibly  the  causes  which  led  to  the  discontinuance 
of  the  School  at  Dallas  proved  helpful  to  the  estab- 
lishment of  others.  It  was  evident  to  maintain  such 
schools  whole  associations  met  and  formed  educa- 
tional associations,  and  here  and  there  over  the  State 
Baptist  Schools  with  Baptist  Associations  behind 
them  were  established.  The  Home  Mission  Society 
came  to  the  rescue  and  partial  support  of  three  of 
them,  the  others  received  support  from  the  Associa- 
tions, and  elsewhere,  as  friends  could  be  moved  to 
their  help. 

Shiloh  Institute,  Warkexto:x,  jNT.  C. 

Shiloh  Institute  at  Warrenton,  X.  C,  was  the 
third  in  the  list  of  the  secondary  schools.  This 
school  was  established  in  1885  by  the  Shiloh  Bap- 
tist Association.  The  Plummer  residence,  containing 
eight  acres  of  land,  was  purchased  for  this  purpose. 
This  place  was  beautifully  situated  within  the  corpo- 
rate limits  of  Warrenton,  JST.  C,  and  offered  every  fa- 
cility for  such  an  undertaking.  Taking  the  name  of 
the  Warrenton  High  School  and  conducted  in  that 
name  for  several  years,  it  was  afterward  changed  to 
Shiloh  Institute,  in  honor  of  the  Shiloh  Association. 
During  the  first  years  of  the  existence  of  the  school 
it  was  the  strongest  school  of  its  kind  in  the  State. 
Within  twelve  years  after  its  establishment,  in  1885. 
there   were   sent   out   one   hundred    and   twenty-five 


168  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

teachers,  in  Warren  and  other  counties  of  the  State, 
besides  several  ministers  of  the  gospel,  who  did  much 
good  along  the  line  of  the  ministry. 

After  the  property  of  this  school  was  secured 
gradual  improvements  were  made,  and  in  1906  it 
was  valued  at  seven  thousand  dollars.  Changes  in 
the  management  of  the  school,  and  divisions  in  the 
Association,  caused  a  decline  in  the  school,  and  many 
who  had  patronized  it  turned  to  other  similar  schools 
scattered  over  the  State. 

The  Garysburg  High  School. 

Even  prior  to  the  establishment  of  the  Shiloh  In- 
stitute there  was  a  school  established  at  Garysburg, 
N.  C,  by  Rev.  R.  I.  Walden,  a  graduate  of  Shaw 
University.  This  property  was  owned  and  con- 
trolled by  Rev.  Walden.  Several  efforts  were  made 
to  have  the  Neuse  River  Association  adopt  this 
school,  as  the  school  of  the  Association,  but  the  effort 
was  unsuccessful,  although  many  of  the  leaders  of 
that  body  received  their  education  from  the  Garys- 
burg School.  Much  of  Dr.  Walden's  time  was  given 
to  the  gospel  ministry,  as  well  as  to  the  work  of 
teaching.  Like  the  Shiloh  School  at  Warrenton. 
much  good  was  accomplished  and  many  able  men  and 
women  were  sent  out  to  join  the  hosts  of  Christian 
workers  in  the  State.  The  strength  of  Dr.  Walden 
was  so  taxed,  endeavoring  to  keep  the  school  going, 
and  the  two  churches,  the  one  at  Louisburg,  and  the 
other  at  Henderson,  he  finally  turned  the  school  over 


Secondary  Schools.  169 

to  Rev.  Mr.  Blacknall,  one  of  the  graduates,  and 
moved  to  Henderson,  X.  C,  where  he  might  give  his 
entire  time  to  the  gospel  ministry.  Mr.  Blacknall 
was  quite  successful,  enrolling  two  hundred  during 
the  winter  months  of  each  year. 

Waters  Normal  and  Industrial  Institute  at 
Winton,  N".  C. 

This  institution,  established  in  1886,  was  by  far 
the  strongest  and  ablest  school  of  its  kind  in  North 
Carolina.  For  twenty-five  years  after  its  establish- 
ment Rev.  C.  S.  Brown,  a  graduate  of  Shaw  Univer- 
sity, was  the  Principal.  During  the  forty-three 
years  of  the  history  of  Shaw  there  had  not  gone  out 
from  that  institution  a  man  who  had  done  so  much 
along  the  educational  lines  as  Dr.  Brown,  the  Prin- 
cipal of  Waters  Institute.  When  he  went  to  Winton 
the  site  where  the  Institute  was  erected  was  a  wil- 
derness. He  began  with  a  rude  structure  for  a  boys' 
dormitory,  and  recitation  rooms.  In  1896  a  two- 
story  building  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  six  thousand 
dollars,  a  dormitory  for  girls,  recitation  rooms,  and 
a  dining  hall. 

The  boys'  dormitory,  being  destroyed  by  fire  in  the 
year  1907,  a  brick  building  was  soon  after  begun  and 
completed  in  1908  at  a  cost  of  eight  thousand  dollars. 
The  reports  showed  in  1908  that  sixty-six  had  grad- 
uated from  Waters  Institute.  Several  had  taken  up 
the  practice  of  medicine,  six  had  gone  into  the  gospel 
ministry  and  quite  a  number  were  teachers  in  the 


170  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

schools  of  North  Carolina.  Waters  Institute  received 
the  largest  amounts  from  the  Home  Mission  Society 
given  to  any  similar  school  in  the  State,  which 
enabled  the  school  to  so  far  outstrip  the  other  second- 
ary schools  of  the  State.  And,  too,  as  we  have  al- 
ready indicated,  Principal  Brown  was  a  man  of  rare 
gifts,  as  was  shown  in  the  success  which  came  to  the 
school  and  in  many  other  ways,  as  he  was  interested 
in  almost  everything  which  meant  the  uplift  of  his 
race  and  the  advancement  of  the  Negro  Baptists  of 
North  Carolina  and  elsewhere.  This  School  exerted 
such  an  influence  in  Eastern  North  Carolina  it  not 
only  proved  helpful  to  the  colored  people  but  to  Win- 
ton,  which  was  little  known  before  its  establishment, 
and  to  all  that  section  of  the  State.  That  they  might 
enjoy  the  benefits  of  the  school  many  of  the  patrons 
moved  to  Winton  and,  without  a  single  exception, 
erected  creditable  and  most  of  them  beautiful  build- 
ings. As  these  were  near  the  campus  all  added  to 
the  beauty  and  worth  of  that  section  of  the  town. 
Shiloh  Institute,  about  which  mention  has  already 
been  made,  and  Waters  Institute,  contributed  each  a 
missionary  to  the  Foreign  Mission  forces  of  Africa. 
Miss  Mary  Fields,  of  the  Shiloh  Institute,  and  Rev. 
C.  C.  Boone,  of  the  Waters  Institute.  If  Waters  In- 
stitute had  done  no  more  than  give  to  the  cause  of 
African  missions  Rev.  Boone,  his  services  to  the  Dark 
Continent  would  have  been  worth  the  existence  of  the 
institution. 


Secondary  Schools.  171 

While  the  Home  Mission  Society  of  New  York,  to- 
gether with  the  Woman's  Home  Mission  Society  of 
New  England  have  contributed  much  to  the  strength 
of  Waters  Institute,  great  credit  was  due  the  colored 
people  of  the  West  Roanoke  Association,  and  espe- 
cially the  colored  Baptists  of  Hertford  County.  For- 
tunately Dr.  Brown  was  pastor  of  five  of  the  largest 
and  ablest  churches  of  Hertford  County,  and  the 
Moderator  of  the  West  Roanoke  Association  for  a 
number  of  years,  the  President  of  the  Educational 
and  Missionary  Convention  of  North  Carolina,  and 
the  President  of  the  Lott-Carey  Home  and  Foreign 
Mission  Convention,  all  of  which  contributed  to  hi= 
influence  and  to  his  opportunity  to  raise  funds  to 
carry  on  the  work  at  Waters,  and  he  used  the  oppor- 
tunity to  a  great  advantage. 

Bertie  Academy,  Windsor,  jST.  C. 

Like  the  Institute  at  Winton  the  Bertie  Academy 
at  Windsor  was  under  the  auspices  of  the  West  Roa- 
noke Association.  This  school  was  established  several 
years  after  the  Waters  Institute  and  while  much  help- 
fulness came  to  Bertie  County  and  the  cause  in  gen- 
eral in  its  establishment,  it  was  never  as  strong  as  the 
Waters  Institute.  The  ministry  afforded  the  princi- 
pals to  such  schools  opportunities  to  reach  the  people 
they  could  not  otherwise  have,  and  it  may  be  the 
Principal  of  Waters  Institute  being  a  minister  and 
a  man  of  extensive  influence,  and  the  Principal  of 


172  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

the  Bertie  Academy  being  a  layman,  had  much  to  do 
with  the  popularity  of  the  Waters  Institute  over  the 
Bertie,  and  yet,  considering  the  proximity  of  the  two 
schools,  the  Bertie  Academy  did  splendid  work. 

The  Bertie  Academy  was  not  only  established  by 
the  colored  people,  but  was  altogether  maintained  by 
them.  The  churches  of  Bertie  County,  though  a 
part  of  the  West  Roanoke  Association,  invariably  di- 
rected their  educational  funds  sent  up  to  the  Associa- 
tion to  be  paid  over  to  the  Bertie  Academy,  while  the 
Hertford  people  directed  theirs  paid  over  to  the 
treasury  of  the  Waters  Institute. 

The  collections  from  Bertie  County  were  usually 
larger  than  the  Hertford  collections,  which  gave  evi- 
dence of  their  deep  concern  for  Bertie  Academy.  In 
1908  the  buildings  and  grounds  were  valued  at  six 
thousand  dollars,  located  near  the  corporate  limits  of 
Windsor.  For  many  years  after  its  establishment  the 
Academy  had  to  undergo  great  hardships.  Through 
wise  management  the  opposition  was  overcome  and 
all  things  considered,  the  school  enjoyed  much  pros- 
perity. 

The  Roanoke  Institute,  Elizabeth  City,  1ST.  C. 

The  Roanoke  Institute,  located  at  Elizabeth  City, 
is  the  property  of  the  East  Roanoke  Association. 
The  property  purchased  for  this  purpose  was  formerly 
used  as  a  private  school  by  Rooks  Turner.  The 
growth  of  the  school  was  so  rapid  that  additional 
buildings  were  soon  a  necessity. 


Secondary  Schools.  173 

Dr.  M.  W.  D.  Norman,  Dean  of  the  Theological 
Department  of  Shaw  University,  was  elected  the 
first  Principal.  Dr.  Norman  had  great  influence  with 
the  brethren  of  the  East  Roanoke  Association  as  well 
as  in  other  sections  of  the  State,  and  the  much- 
needed  buildings  were  soon  erected.  Rev.  G.  D. 
Griffin  succeeded  Dr.  Norman,  and  although  a  grad- 
uate of  the  Institute,  had  exceptional  ability,  and  the 
work  under  his  management  went  steadily  on  to  suc- 
cess. Professor  Graves  succeeded  Rev.  Griffin.  Al- 
though one  of  the  Normal  Schools  of  the  State  was 
located  in  Elizabeth  City,  the  Roanoke  Institute  was 
crowded  each  year  not  only  from  the  city  but  from 
the  adjoining  counties,  over  a  thousand  students  up 
to  1908,  with  thirty-five  graduates.  In  point  oi 
numbers  the  East  Roanoke  Association  was  one  of 
the  largest  Associations  in  the  State ;  financially  the 
second  only  to  the  West  Roanoke.  This  enabled  the 
school  to  derive  a  good  revenue.  Self  help  was  the 
motto  of  this  Association,  and  the  colored  Baptists  of 
that  section  deserved  the  entire  credit  for  the  Roa- 
noke Institute,  worth  six  thousand  dollars  in  1908. 

The  Girls'  Training  School,  Franklinton,  N.  C. 

After  a  few  Associations  had  set  the  example  and 
had  organized  themselves  to  do  educational  work, 
schools  were  established  in  every  section  of  the  State. 
While  the  Girls'  Training  School  at  Franklinton  was 
not  the  property  of  the  Wake  Association,  located  in 
the  bounds  of  the  Wake  Association,  the  Association 


174  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

became  deeply  interested  in  its  welfare  and  made  an- 
nual appropriations  to  it.  Rev.  T.  O.  Fuller,  a 
scholarly  young  man,  a  graduate  of  Shaw  University, 
became  its  first  Principal.  Rev.  Fuller  succeeded  in 
interesting  a  few  Northern  friends  in  the  school,  and 
not  only  did  they  contribute  their  money,  but  several 
white  ladies  came  down  and  taught  in  the  school. 
The  first  to  take  hold  as  teacher  was  Miss  Hawkins, 
who  finally  succeeded  Rev.  Fuller  as  Principal. 
Others  joined  her,  and  for  several  years  the  school 
was  taught  by  white  ladies.  It  was  found  expedient 
to  change  and  secure  colored  teachers.  Dr.  A.  W. 
Pegues  was  elected  Principal.  Like  the  other  schools 
mentioned  the  Girls'  Training  School  did  much  to 
foster  Christian  education,  especially  in  the  counties 
of  Franklin,  Wake  and  Granville.  The  Educational 
ind  Missionary  Convention  undertook  to  form  the^e 
schools  into  a  confederation  and  give  partial  support 
to  them.  This  was  kept  up  a  few  years,  but  after- 
ward it  was  found  to  be  impractical. 

The  Addie  Moeeis  School,  Winston-Salem,  1ST.  C. 

The  Addie  Morris  School,  at  Winston,  can  hardly 
be  called  a  secondary  school,  as  it  was  largely  com- 
posed of  children.  The  school  was  named  in  honor 
of  the  founder,  Miss  Addie  Morris,  a  missionary  em- 
ployed by  the  Woman's  Missionary  Society  in  Chicago. 
At  that  time  there  were  ten  thousand  colored  people 
in  Winston-Salem,  and  Miss  Morris,  seeing  so  many 
children  coming  up  in  idleness,  felt  that  something 


Secondary  Schools.  175 

should  be  done  to  change  conditions,  and  in  connec- 
tion with  the  missionary  and  Bible  school  organized 
a  children's  school.  The  object  of  this  school  was 
not  only  to  impart  secular  knowledge,  but  especially 
a  knowledge  of  the  Bible.  The  First  Baptist  Church 
of  Winston-Salem  granted  the  lot  to  the  Home  Mis- 
sion Society  and  Sister  Morris,  and  a  building  wa« 
erected  for  this  purpose.  This  school  was  composed 
entirely  of  pupils  from  Winston-Salem,  but  an  incen- 
tive was  given  to  several  lo  pursue  a  higher  course  of 
study  in  Shaw  University  and  elsewhere.  It  will 
never  be  known  the  real  good  this  school  did  in  shap- 
ing the  life  and  character  of  so  many  who  came  under 
the  training  of  this  Godly  woman.  Few  women  with 
even  better  advantages,  and  none  with  the  same  ad- 
vantage in  Xorth  Carolina,  did  so  much  to  shape  the 
lives  of  so  many  individuals.  Although  of  little  learn- 
ing "Sister  Morris,"  as  she  was  best  known,  gave  her 
life  unreservedly  to  the  cause  of  Christ,  both  among 
the  old  and  the  young.  She  not  only  conducted  this 
school  during  her  lifetime,  but  gave  much  energy  and 
care  to  the  establishment  of  an  Orphan  Home  two 
and  a  half  miles  from  Winston.  After  her  death, 
which  occurred  in  the  spring  of  1907,  her  sister,  Mrs. 
Emma  Simmons,  took  charge  of  the  school.  Mrs. 
Simmons's  health  was  poor  and,  although  the  same 
godly  woman  her  sister  was,  could  do  but  little  in 
carrying  on  the  school,  and  with  the  death  of  Sister 
Morris  the  school  work  largely  came  to  an  end. 


176  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

The  Rowan  Normal  and  Industrial  School, 
Charlotte,  1ST.  C. 

The  existence  of  the  Rowan  Normal  and  Industrial 
School  was  due  to  Rev.  C.  C.  Somerville,  who  was 
called  from  the  position  of  District  Missionary  for 
Eastern  North  Carolina  to  the  pastorate  of  the  First 
Baptist  Church  of  Charlotte.  Dr.  Somerville  was 
not  only  called  to  the  pastorate  of  the  First  Baptist 
Church,  but  was  elected  Moderator  of  the  Rowan 
Baptist  Association,  in  whose  boundary  the  school 
was  located  and  for  which  the  school  was  named. 

The  Moderator  endeavored  for  several  years  to 
have  the  School  adopted  as  the  property  of  the 
Rowan  Association,  but  the  brethren  could  not 
agree  to  do  so.  They  gave  the  school  an  endorsement 
and  an  annual  donation,  but  they  would  never  agree  to 
adopt  it  as  theirs.  The  untiring  efforts  and  sacri- 
fices of  the  Principal  enabled  him  to  carry  on  this 
school  for  several  years.  The  Graded  Schools,  Bid- 
die  University,  located  in  Charlotte ;  failure  to  se- 
cure the  full  cooperation  of  the  Association  made  it 
hard  for  the  Rowan  Industrial,  but  made  of  an  iron 
will,  Dr.  Somerville  kept  up  the  work,  gathering 
means  here  and  there  until  he  was  called  to  the  pas- 
torate of  the  Ebenezer  Baptist  Church,  of  Ports- 
mouth, Virginia.  The  school  was  then  moved  from 
Charlotte  to  Salisbury  and  the  name  was  changed  to 
the  Piedmont  Institute.  In  the  following  fall  the 
school  opened  in  the  property  adjoining  and  belong- 


Secondary  Schools.  177 

ing  to  the  Dixonville  Baptist  Church,  with  Rev. 
D.  W.  Montgomery,  Principal.  Another  effort  was 
made  to  adopt  the  school  as  the  property  of  the  Rowan 
Association,  but  again  the  effort  failed,  although  trus- 
tees were  appointed  in  the  meeting  of  the  Associa- 
tion. The  Association  agreed  to  keep  up  the  appro- 
priation, but  nothing  more.  Rev.  Montgomery  con- 
tinued at  the  head  but  a  short  time  and  Rev.  A.  S. 
Croomj^his  successor  at  Dixonville,  became  the  Prin- 
cipal. 

Zion  Academy,  Wadesboro,  ~N.  C. 

The  buildings  of  the  Zion  Academy  were  erected 
in  the  town  of  Wadesboro,  1903  and  1904.  This 
school  was  owned  and  controlled  by  the  Zion  Baptist 
Association  and,  considering  the  capacity  of  the  build- 
ings, reflects  credit  on  the  Zion  Baptist  people. 

We  have  already  mentioned  Prof.  E.  H.  Lips- 
combe  as  the  second  person  in  North  Carolina  to 
undertake  secondary  schools.  He  was  called  to  the 
Zion  Academy  as  the  first  Principal  of  the  Academy. 
No  Association  in  the  State  was  more  enthusiastic 
over  education  than  the  Zion  people,  and  no  school 
advanced  more  rapidly  than  the  Zion  Academy.  This 
enthusiasm  did  not  by  any  means  grow  out  of  the 
fact  that  many  of  them  were  educated  technically ; 
there  were  but  few  among  them  educated,  but  they 
had  great  faith  in  the  proper  kind  of  education,  and 
they  went  at  it  with  a  will.  The  first  two  years  after 
the  school  was  organized  they  raised  and  expended 
12 


178  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

two  thousand  dollars.  While  Professor  Lipscombe 
was  scholarly  he  did  not  possess  all  the  necessary 
energy  and  push  to  carry  on  such  a  work,  and  as 
a  result  the  school  was  not  all  it  might  have  been. 
No  section  of  the  State  was  more  in  need  of  such  a 
school  than  the  section  included  by  the  Zion  Associa- 
tion, and  soon  after  the  school  was  established  its 
great  service  was  everywhere  manifest. 

Thompson  Institute,  Lumber/ton,  N.  C. 

The  Thompson  Institute,  at  Lumberton,  N.  C. 
took  its  name  from  the  oldest  minister  of  the  Lum- 
ber River  Association  at  the  time  of  its  establish- 
ment, Rev.  A.  H.  Thompson.  This  school  is  another 
monument  to  the  thrift  and  energy  of  the  Negro  Bap- 
tists of  North  Carolina.  Just  as  has  been  said  of  the 
Zion  Academy,  the  Thompson  Institute  was  of  the 
greatest  necessity  in  the  section  in  which  it  was  lo- 
cated. In  1880  there  was  not  a  good  dwelling  be- 
longing to  a  Negro  Baptist  in  the  section  of  Lumber- 
ton;  in  1900  a  poor  dwelling  was  the  exception.  The 
old  dilapidated  church  was  torn  down  and  a  beautiful 
and  commodious  building  erected  in  its  place  for  the 
worship  of  God,  and  a  little  village  surrounded  the 
campus,  which  made  it  but  the  more  attractive.  Rev. 
D.  J.  Avera  was  elected  the  first  Principal.  Rev. 
Avera,  being  there  but  two  years,  could  hardly  make 
proof  of  his  proficiency  in  this  kind  of  work,  but  he 
laid  the  foundation  upon  which  another  has  builded 
with  considerable  success. 


Secondary  Schools.  179 

Prof.  W.  H.  Knuckles,  from  the  Theological  De- 
partment of  Shaw  University,  was  elected  Principal 
to  succeed  Rev.  Avera.  Rev.  Knuckles's  efforts  have 
been  untiring,  and  instead  of  the  one  building  partly 
completed  there  were  three  buildings  with  a  faculty 
of  five. 

The  school  made  rapid  progress  in  every  respect ; 
large  numbers  gathered  there  from  year  to  year  from 
all  that  section  of  country.  As  early  as  1905  most 
of  the  teachers  from  the  three  surrounding  counties 
were  supplied  from  Thompson  Institute,  and  with 
the  preparation  were  able  to  do  splendid  work  in  the 
public  schools.  While  the  annual  appropriation  from 
the  Home  Mission  Society,  of  New  York,  was  small, 
yet  the  Society  did  make  a  small  appropriation  to 
the  Thompson  Institute,  and  was  exceedingly  helpful 
in  the  prosecution  of  the  work.  While,  as  we  have 
said,  much  of  the  rapid  growth  of  the  School  was 
due  to  the  thrift  and  energy  of  Professor  Knuckles, 
much  was  likewise  due  to  Rev.  J.  D.  Harrell,  Modera- 
tor of  the  Lumber  River  Association,  and  Financial 
Agent  of  the  Thompson  Institute.  It  was  through 
his  persistency  that  the  buildings  in  turn  were  erected, 
through  his  energy  the  large  numbers  were  gathered, 
and  through  him  much  of  the  necessary  funds  were 
realized  to  carry  on  the  school.  In  fact,  the  Lumber 
River  Association  was  made  up  of  many  others  like 
Brother  Harrell,  in  their  zeal  for  the  progress  of 
Thompson  Institute. 


180  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

New  Bern  Industrial  and  Collegiate  Institute, 
New  Bern,  1ST.  C. 

This  school  was  one  of  the  exceptions,  being  the 
product  of  an  individual  or,  better  said,  individuals. 
Rev.  and  Mrs.  A.  L.  E.  Weeks.  Rev.  Weeks  was 
called  to  the  pastorate  of  the  Cedar  Grove  Baptist 
Church,  New  Bern,  N.  C.  Realizing  the  condition 
of  his  people  and  the  people  of  that  vast  section  felt 
that  their  greatest  need  was  the  proper  provision  for 
their  education,  set  to  work  at  once  and  selected  a 
place  suitable  for  the  planting  of  a  school.  The 
large  lot  adjoining  the  Fair  Grounds  was  selected 
and  bargained  for  at  a  cost  of  twelve  thousand  dol- 
lars. Only  a  man  with  the  pluck  of  Rev.  Weeks, 
with  comparatively  no  money  in  sight,  would  have 
undertaken  such  a  task;  but  if  it  occurred  to  Rev. 
Weeks  that  a  mountain  should  be  moved,  he  was  the 
man  at  least  to  make  a  beginning.  Undaunted  he 
went  about  the  raising  of  the  money  for  his  purchase 
and  the  erection  of  buildings  for  a  beginning.  Al- 
most to  a  man  he  was  told  it  could  not  be  done,  but  he 
simply  said  do  what  you  can,  and  when  he  or  his  wife 
left  an  individual  they  somehow  felt  that  something 
must  be  given,  whether  they  had  it  or  not.  In  this 
way  opinion  began  to  take  another  shape,  and  it  was 
said  that  it  would  be  done,  since  Weeks  was  at  the 
head. 

At  first  the  Home  Mission  Society  was  moved  to 
give  two  hundred  dollars,  and  the  next  year  the  ap- 


Secondary  Schools.  181 

propriation  was  increased  to  four  hundred  dollars. 
This  appropriation  was  indeed  a  blessing  to  the 
school  struggling  for  life  and  existence.  The  white 
people  of  New  Bern  deserve  great  praise  for  the  man- 
ner in  which  many  of  them  stood  by  Rev.  and  Mrs. 
Weeks.  In  fact,  without  their  moral  and  financial 
support,  such  as  Rev.  "Weeks  had  from  the  beginning, 
it  would  have  been  utterly  impossible  to  have  estab- 
lished the  school  which  would  be  more  fitly  called 
Weeks  Institute.  It  was  through  them  the  beautiful 
and  appropriate  site  was  secured,  through  them  Rev. 
Weeks  was  able  to  reach  the  ears  of  the  Society, 
through  them  many  friends,  white  and  colored,  in 
North  Carolina.  It  is  deserving  of  mention  that  Mr. 
Isaac  Smith,  a  generous-hearted  colored  citizen,  made 
the  largest  donation  of  any  single  individual,  which 
gave  the  Principal  much  encouragement  and  enabled 
him  to  make  a  stronger  appeal  to  others. 

While  the  New  Bern  Industrial  and  Collegiate  In- 
stitute was  not  directly  under  the  supervision  of  any 
Association,  as  nearly  all  these  secondary  schools 
were,  yet  with  his  push  Principal  Weeks  succeeded 
in  reaching  several  Associations  even  with  their  own 
schools  on  their  hands.  How  this  was  done  only  the 
Principal  and  God  can  tell.  There  was  a  strong  ef- 
fort to  unite  the  school  supported  by  the  New  Bern 
Eastern  Association,  located  just  across  the  Trent 
River,  and  the  New  Bern  Collegiate  and  Industrial 
Institute,  but  the  effort  proved  a  failure.  As  has 
been  said  of  other  sections,  there  was  much  ignorance 


182  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

throughout  this  section,  and  somehow,  despite  his 
efforts  to  prove  the  worthiness  of  his  cause  and  the 
sincerity  of  purpose,  many  of  the  old  heads  stood  in 
awe  of  this  young,  active  and  able  divine,  and  hence 
much  he  might  have  accomplished  could  not  be  done 
for  this  reason. 

The  church  of  which  Rev.  Weeks  was  pastor  was 
burned  in  1905,  and  much  of  the  attention  of  the 
principal  and  pastor  had  to  be  given  to  church  erec- 
tion. A  lovely  brick  structure  took  the  place  of  the 
old  frame  structure,  while  the  work  of  the  school 
moved  right  on.  The  work  of  Rev.  Weeks  was  the 
wonder  of  North  Carolina.  Much  light  was  diffused 
and  much  good  accomplished  through  this  one  man 
showing  "Where  there  is  a  will,  there  is  a  way." 

The  Burgaw  High  School. 

The  Burgaw  High  School  is  located  at  Burgaw. 
N".  C,  and  is  the  property  of  the  Middle  District 
Association.  At  the  opening  of  the  fall  term  of  1907 
there  were  two  buildings  erected,  one  for  school  rooms 
and  dormitory  for  girls;  the  other  a  dormitory  for 
boys. 

The  decided  success  and  growth  of  the  Burgaw 
High  School  from  the  beginning  was  due  to  the  faith- 
fulness and  proficiency  of  the  Principal,  Mr.  J.  A. 
Fennell.  In  all  the  secondary  schools  of  the  State 
there  was  not  a  more  unassuming  and  energetic  prin- 
pical  than  Mr.  Fennell.     No  distance  was  too  far,  no 


Secondary  Schools.  183 

task  too  great  for  this  man  if  it  meant  any  advance- 
ment of  the  Burgaw  High  School.  Like  others  o± 
the  Principals,  Mr.  Fennell  had  much  unnecessary 
difficulties  to  overcome,  and  often  those  who  were  in 
the  position  to  help  him  stood  in  the  way  of  the  prog- 
ress of  the  school.  The  management  of  these  second- 
ary schools  in  jSTorth  Carolina  especially  demonstrated 
the  fact  that  in  some  instances  the  schools  would  have 
been  better  off  with  no  other  management  than  the 
faculty.  It  is  not  meant  that  there  were  not  some 
good  men  in  the  management  other  than  the  faculties, 
but  many  who  stood  in  the  way  of  everything  that 
meant  progress  and  improvement. 

Despite  every  opposition  the  Principal  and  Miss 
Smith,  his  assistant,  did  splendid  work  at  Burgaw. 
Many  splendid  young  men  and  women  were  sent  out 
through  that  section  imparting  the  light  and  instruc- 
tion which  they  received  at  the  Burgaw  High  School. 

The  Faison  High  School  and  the  Union 
Academy. 

Both  of  these  Schools  grew  out  from  the  Kenans- 
ville  Eastern  Association.  Unfortunately  division 
marked  the  educational  work  of  the  Association  al- 
most from  the  beginning.  A  difference  of  opinion 
grew  out  of  the  place  for  the  location,  especially  after 
the  first  change  had  been  made.  The  Association 
was  at  the  mercy  of  factions.  Some  wished  the  school 
to  be  located  at  Clinton  and  others  at  Faison.  A 
majority  voted  in  favor  of  Faison,  while   a  strong 


184  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

faction  contended  for  Clinton.  An  effort  was  made 
to  have  schools  in  both  places  and  the  Association  to 
make  equal  or  pro-rata  appropriations  to  both  of  the 
schools,  but  in  the  meeting  of  the  Association  in 
Goldsboro  it  was  evident  that  the  majority  opposed 
such  a  proposition,  and  as  a  natural  consequence  two 
associations  were  formed,  the  churches  of  Samp- 
son composing  the  one  and  the  churches  of  Duplin 
composing  the  other. 

Mr.  J.  IS.  Bennett  was  elected  Principal  of  the 
Faison  School.  Soon  it  was  evident  that  still  more 
divisions  were  ahead  for  the  Faison  High  School. 
The  management  was  not  satisfactory  to  many  of  the 
leaders  of  the  Association,  and  the  differences  were 
so  great  until  Mr.  Bennett  came  out  in  1907  and 
formed  an  independent  school.  From  the  work  ac- 
complished it  was  evident,  with  a  spirit  of  unity,  a 
much  better  work  could  have  been  accomplished. 

For  some  cause  the  Union  Academy  at  Clinton  was 
not  what  it  might  have  been.  The  beginning  of  the 
school  was  under  the  direction  of  Professor  Ashford. 
Professor  Ashford  was  an  earnest  and  good  man,  but 
the  fact  that  Clinton  was  his  home,  upon  the  prin- 
ciple taught  by  our  Saviour,  "A  prophet  is  not  with- 
out honor,  save  in  his  own  country,  and  in  his  own 
house,"  was  verified  in  his  case,  and  he  did  not  do 
the  good  he  might  otherwise  have  done.  The  same 
was  true  of  his  successor,  Mr.  Boykin.  He  was  also 
a  native  of  the  county  in  which  the  school  was  lo- 


Secondary  Schools.  185 

cated  and  he,  too,  was  a  good  man — but  he  was  never 
able  to  accomplish  so  much  as  he  might  have  accom- 
plished. In  the  fall  of  1897  Mr.  Thomas  J.  Brown, 
of  Winston-Salem,  was  appointed  as  the  successor  of 
Mr.  Boykin.  At  once  the  school  began  to  take  on 
new  strength  and  usefulness.  At  the  close  of  the  first 
year  it  was  evident  that  the  right  man  had  been 
agreed  upon,  the  people  became  united,  the  number 
of  pupils  in  the  school  increased,  and  everything 
looked  promising  for  a  bright  future  for  Union 
Academy. 

The  Atlantic  and  North  Carolina  Institute. 
James  City,  1ST.  C. 

This  school  was  established  by  the  New  Bern  East- 
ern Association,  one  of  the  largest  Associations  in 
point  of  numbers  in  the  State.  There  were  many 
divisions  in  the  ranks  of  the  New  Bern  Eastern  As- 
sociation, which  gave  many  setbacks  to  the  school 
project.  The  fact  that  the  New  Bern  Industrial  and 
Collegiate  Institute  was  located  just  across  the  Trent 
River  in  New  Bern  and  directed  and  controlled  by 
an  able  and  energetic  young  man,  Rev.  Weeks,  6tood 
in  the  way  of  the  progress  of  the  Atlantic  and  North 
Carolina  Institute.  Mr.  Q.  C.  Mial,  an  old  and  ex- 
perienced teacher  from  Johnston  County,  was  elected 
as  the  first  Principal.  In  the  short  time  Mr.  Mial 
was  in  charge  of  the  school  his  work  bore  evidence  of 
his  splendid  experience,  but  he  soon  grew  tired  of 


186  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

teaching  and  resigned.  Since  that  time  until  1908 
the  progress  of  the  school  was  slow.  Some  of  the  old 
leaders  of  the  Association  have  since  died,  and  it  is 
hoped  that  the  new  and  more  advanced  leaders  will 
see  their  way  clear  to  unite  with  the  New  Bern  and 
Collegiate  or  strengthen  the  work  on  the  other  side  of 
the  Trent,  as  such  a  work  is  so  much  needed  in  that 
section  of  North  Carolina. 

The  Western  Union  Academy. 

The  Western  Union  Academy  is  located  a  mile 
from  the  town  of  Rutherfordton  and  is  the  property 
of  several  of  the  Western  Associations.  Two  com- 
modious buildings  have  been  erected  on  the  grounds 
and  every  section  of  that  country  was  represented  in 
the  school. 

Rev.  Mr.  Hobson,  at  that  time  living  at  Shelby. 
N.  C,  was  foremost  in  establishing  the  school,  in 
fact  erected  the  first  building.  Afterward  Rev.  W. 
T.  Askew,  of  Eastern  North  Carolina,  who  came  to 
the  school  from  Rich  Square  Academy,  was  proficient 
in  this  kind  of  service,  was  the  first  Principal,  and 
under  his  leadership  the  school  leaped  into  promi- 
nence and  usefulness.  Rev.  Askew  held  this  place  for 
three  years.  Rev.  R.  B.  Watts  was  elected  to  suc- 
ceed Rev.  Askew.  Rev.  Watts  was  experienced  in 
teaching,  having  given  many  years  to  public  school 
teaching  and  had  experience  in  higher  school  work. 
Before  leaving  North  Carolina  Rev.  Watts  had  quite 
a  hold  on  the  churches  and  associations  of  the  West- 


Secondary  Schools.  187 

ern  Piedmont  section,  having  edited  a  paper  in  that 
section  for  several  years,  which  gave  him  a  decided 
advantage  in  the  school  work,  and  a  broad  foundation 
having  been  laid  by  Rev.  Askew  he  had  but  to  move 
forward  with  the  work  of  the  Western  Union  Acad- 
emy, which  he  did,  and  in  a  few  years  the  school  was 
on  a  firm  footing. 

The  Educational  Convention  in  forming  a  confed- 
eration of  these  secondary  Baptist  schools  felt  at  that 
time  that  there  were  too  many  of  them,  but  the  as- 
sociations caught  the  educational  fever  which  was  so 
prevalent  especially  in  the  administration  of  Gover- 
nor Chas.  B.  Aycock,  but  it  was  afterward  found  that 
all  of  them  did  much  good  in  bringing  the  Baptists 
to  the  front.  They  caused  an  interest  in  the  associa- 
tions which  they  would  never  have  manifested. 
Hence,  after  all,  the  secondary  Baptist  schools  were 
a  great  blessing  to  the  cause  of  the  denomination. 

The  Claremont  Normal  School. 

This  school  is  the  property  of  the  Mountain  and 
Catawba  Association  and  was  established  at  Clare- 
mont,  1ST.  C,  1904.  Rev.  W.  S.  Dacons  was  elected 
the  first  Principal.  There  were  six  acres  of  land  in 
the  tract  and  one  building  in  1908,  the  land  and 
building  valued  at  three  thousand  dollars.  In  the 
four  years  between  its  organization  and  1908  the 
number  of  persons  in  attendance  had  increased  to 
one  hundred  and  twenty-five.     A  school  of  such  a 


188  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

character  was  of  such  vast  importance  its  success  was 
assured  from  the  beginning.  The  Principal  was  a 
man  of  energy,  enterprise  and  push,  and  with  but 
four  years  everything  gave  promise  of  a  splendid 
work  in  the  education  of  teachers  and  preachers  so 
much  in  demand  in  that  section. 


CHAPTER  XL 

BAPTIST  PAPERS. 

The  African  Expositor. 

The  African  Expositor  was  established  in  1877 
with  Dr.  H.  M.  Tupper,  President  of  Shaw  Uni- 
versity, Dr.  N".  F.  Roberts,  Prof.  E.  H.  Lipscombe. 
Editors;  Drs.  A.  Shepard,  C.  Johnson,  G.  W.  Perry, 
Business  Managers.  The  motto  of  the  Sentinel  was 
"Ethiopia  shall  soon  stretch  forth  her  hands  unto 
God." 

The  Expositor  consisted  of  eight  pages  and  was 
devoted  to  education,  religion,  temperance  and  gen- 
eral intelligence.  The  paper  had  a  wide  circulation 
throughout  the  State,  as  might  have  been  expected 
with  the  ablest  men  of  the  denomination  at  its  head. 
Representing  Shaw  University  from  time  to  time 
through  its  columns  it  had  a  wide  circulation  in 
many  places  in  the  North.  Dr.  Tupper  once  said. 
"Had  it  not  been  for  the  Expositor  I  could  not  have 
established  the  Medical  Department."  The  pastors 
and  Christian  workers  throughout  the  State  took  hold 
of  the  Expositor  and  it  became  a  great  strength  to  the 
Sunday  school  work  as  well  as  the  church  and  con- 
ventional work.  A  portion  of  each  issue  was  devoted 
to  the  Foreign  Mission  interests,  and  much  of  the 
awakening  of  that  early  period  may  be  directly 
traced  to  the  sentiment  developed  through  the  col- 
umns of  the  African  Expositor. 


190  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

The  Gold  Dust  and  the  Baptist  Headlight. 

For  several  years  following  the  publication  of  the 
African  Expositor  there  was  no  paper  published  by 
the  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina.  For  a  while 
there  was  a  paper  published  in  Salisbury  called  the 
Gold  Dust.  We  are  not  quite  certain,  but  we  think 
Dr.  J.  O.  Crosby  was  the  first  editor  and  was  as- 
sisted by  Dr.  C.  C.  Somerville.  Although  the  Gold 
Dust  did  not  exist  sufficiently  long  to  accomplish  all 
that  might  have  been  accomplished,  yet  while  it  did 
exist  it  was  greatly  helpful  to  the  cause  in  the  State, 
and  especially  in  the  western  section,  where  it  was 
more  largely  read.  As  no  one  individual  can  arro- 
gate to  himself  the  sole  credit  of  building  up  a  great 
cause,  so  no  single  enterprise  can  lay  claim  to  such  an 
accomplishment.  It  was  not  the  African  Expositor, 
nor  the  Chowan  Pilot,  nor  the  Baptist  Sentinel,  but 
each  and  all  serving  in  their  turn,  contributing  a  por- 
tion which  makes  a  great  cause  go.  So  it  was  with 
the  Gold  Dust.  There  appeared  from  time  to  time 
able  articles  and  editorials  from  the  gifted  pen  of 
the  gentleman  who  had  the  management,  and  from 
others  throughout  the  State,  which  have  done  much 
to  mould  sentiment  and  marshal  into  line  the  forces 
which  have  made  the  Negro  Baptists  what  they  are. 
Certainly  much  of  the  intelligence  of  the  Piedmont 
section,  much  of  the  ambition  and  push,  much  of 
the  strength  of  the  men  and  the  churches  is  due  to 
education  and  encouragement  which  came  to  the  Bap- 


Baptist  Papers.  191 

tists  of  that  section  through  the  publication  of  the 
Gold  Dust. 

The  Baptist  Headlight. 

The  Baptist  Headlight  had  its  birth  in  Salisbury, 
as  did  the  Gold  Dust.  Dr.  Somerville  was  intimately 
associated  if  not  at  one  time  editor  of  the  Headlight. 
For  the  most  part  Rev.  A.  L.  Sumner  was  its  editor. 
The  Headlight  had  a  longer  existence  than  did  the 
Gold  Dust,  and  in  fact  had  a  more  extensive  circula- 
tion and  support.  The  Headlight  drew  more  largely 
on  the  State  Convention  and  the  different  associa- 
tions and  other  organizations  of  the  State.  While  it 
was  published  at  first  in  Salisbury  when  the  editor 
was  elected  Principal  of  the  Goldsboro  Normal 
School  he  carried  the  Headlight  with  him,  and  it  was 
published  while  he  remained  in  connection  with  the 
school,  at  Goldsboro.  From  Goldsboro  he  went  to 
Burgaw,  and  took  charge  of  the  Burgaw  High  School. 
The  paper  was  then  sent  out  from  Burgaw.  The 
fact  that  a  paper  invariably  secures  a  good  deal  of 
local  patronage  made  the  Headlight  more  extensively 
read  in  the  east  as  well  as  the  western  section  of  the 
State.  Like  the  Gold  Dust  the  Headlight  did  its  spe- 
cific work  in  making  sentiment  and  paving  the  way 
for  a  paper  which  was  to  be  the  permanent  organ  of 
the  Baptists  of  the  State.  It  was  true  that  the  short 
life  of  these  two  papers  and  others  of  lesser  calibei 
made  the  saying  proverbial  that  "Baptist  organs  die 
early" ;  yet  the  good  these  men  did  and  the  sacrifices 


192  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

they  made  to  run  these  papers  as  long  as  they  did 
has  an  important  place  in  the  cherished  recollections 
of  the  achievements  of  the  blessed  past. 

The  Chowan  Pilot. 

The  Chowan  Pilot  was  at  first  edited  by  Dr.  C.  S. 
Brown,  and  had  Winton,  N.  C,  for  its  home.  The 
Pilot  had  even  greater  advantages  over  the  Headlight 
than  the  Headlight  had  over  the  Gold  Dust.  To  be- 
gin with  the  East  Roanoke  Association  took  firm  hold 
of  the  Pilot,  and  not  only  gave  loyal  support  in  the 
number  of  paying  subscribers,  but  made  donations 
to  enable  the  editor,  who  was  the  acknowledged  leader 
of  the  Association,  to  purchase  office  fixtures  and 
press  to  run  the  paper  from  the  office.  Soon  the 
paper  was  issued  in  connection  with  the  school,  the 
Waters  Normal  and  Industrial  Institute,  and  as  a 
feature  of  the  industrial  department  the  paper  was 
published.  The  students  soon  learned  to  set  up  the 
type,  which  greatly  facilitated  the  work  and  made 
the  cost  considerably  less.  The  editor,  with  that 
spirit  so  characteristic  of  him,  met  every  organiza- 
tion of  Baptists  it  was  possible  to  meet,  and  so  im- 
pressed the  paper  on  them  they  felt  it  almost  im- 
perative to  give  their  support,  and  hence  the  Chowan 
Pilot  was  read  all  over  the  State.  And,  too,  it  was 
always  considered  that  the  Baptists  had  no  writer 
superior  to  Dr.  Brown.  His  editorials  aroused  an 
interest  in  the  Baptist  cause  as  nothing  else  had 
done.     Sometimes  it  was  a  political  issue,  and  then 


Baptist  Papers.  193 

a  moral,  and  an  educational,  but  always  something 
which  meant  the  uplift  of  the  race  and  the  denomi- 
nation. If  there  ever  lived  an  uncompromising  Bap- 
tist it  was  the  Editor  of  the  Chowan  Pilot.  Such 
loyalty  and  decision  will  always  demand  respect  and 
attention.  With  so  many  duties  upon  him  as  princi- 
pal of  a  growing  institution  and  pastor  of  several 
churches,  the  Editor  of  the  Pilot  felt  called  upon  to 
ask  that  the  Baptists  assume  control  of  the  paper  and 
appoint  another  editor,  and  Rev.  W.  A.  Patillo,  of 
Littleton,  was  appointed  to  take  the  editorship.  Dr. 
Patillo  had  experienced  something  of  this  kind  of 
work  in  connection  with  a  Farmers  Alliance  sheet, 
besides  many  admirable  qualities  such  as  the  former 
editor  possessed,  and  the  Convention  felt  itself  fortu- 
nate to  secure  his  services.  The  Pilot  was  not,  how- 
ever, published  long  before  a  great  change  came  in 
connection  with  the  conventional  work  which  necessi- 
tated a  change  in  its  organ.  The  work  of  cooperation 
had  its  beginning.  Dr.  Brown  was  chosen  to  lead 
that  work  as  Corresponding  Secretary  of  the  Con- 
vention and  general  missionary  under  the  plan  of 
cooperation.  This  work  began  with  the  publication 
of  the  Baptist  Quarterly,  with  the  general  mission- 
ary editor.  The  quarterly  was  continued  for  ten 
months  and  a  monthly  took  its  place.  Dr.  Brown  felt 
that  he  could  not  do  the  work  of  general  missionary 
and  editor  and  keep  up  the  work  of  the  Waters  In- 
stitute, and  he  resigned  this  place  to  return  to  the 
school  work  and  the  pastorate. 
IS 


194  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

Dr.  Brown  was  succeeded  by  J.  A.  Whitted,  Corre- 
sponding Secretary  and  general  missionary,  who  be- 
came his  successor  as  Editor  of  the  Baptist  Quarterly. 
He  edited  the  Baptist  Sentinel  Monthly  and  Baptist 
Sentinel  Weekly  covering  a  period  of  twelve  years. 

The  Baptist  Sentinel  was  established  December  8. 
1898,  with  the  motto  "I  have  made  thee  a  watchman 
unto  the  house  of  Israel."  Ez.  3  :7.  The  paper  was 
published  in  the  city  of  Raleigh  every  Thursday.  At 
first  there  were  only  three  hundred  subscribers ;  but 
it  grew  rapidly  until  soon  its  list  increased  to  thirty- 
five  hundred. 

The  effort  to  establish  papers  had  proven  so  fruit- 
less it  was  difficult  to  secure  the  confidence  of  the 
readers  as  to  the  permanency  of  the  paper;  but  this 
was  finally  overcome,  and  the  Sentinel  gained  the 
confidence  of  the  State  and  established  a  record  for 
its  conservatism  and  for  the  choice  matter  which  ap- 
peared from  time  to  time.  The  plan  of  cooperation 
being  in  full  blast  at  this  time,  and  having  meetings 
in  the  State  somewhere  each  week  through  its  mis- 
sionaries, the  spread  of  the  Sentinel  was  greatly  fa- 
cilitated. 

Dr.  1ST.  F.  Roberts,  who  had  served  up  to  this  time 
as  business  manager,  very  much  to  the  regret  of  the 
staff  resigned.  Mr.  J.  P.  Williams  was  elected  to 
succeed  him.  At  the  meeting  of  the  Convention  at 
Kinston,  K  C.,  1905,  Dr.  E.  E.  Smith  was  elected 
one  of  the  editors ;  Dr.  S.  !N\  Vass  and  Rev.  G.  W. 


Baptist  Papers.  195 

Moore,  corresponding  editors ;  Dr.  N.  F.  Roberts, 
secretary  and  treasurer.  Dr.  Roberts  was  well  known 
and  trusted  in  North  Carolina,  which  gave  much  en- 
couragement to  the  project.  Mr.  Williams  gave  his 
best  energy  to  the  paper,  and  its  success  was  largely 
due  to  his  faithfulness  and  efficiency. 

As  the  people  became  convinced  that  the  Sentinel 
was  abiding  they  took  hold  of  it  and  its  circulation 
was  increased  to  thirty-five  hundred.  The  policy  of 
the  paper  had  very  much  to  do  with  its  growth  and 
development.  From  the  beginning  the  paper  was 
conservative  and  sound  in  its  policy,  allowing  nothing 
to  come  into  its  columns  which  meant  to  destroy  the 
harmony  and  prosperity  of  the  denomination. 
Throughout  all  the  changes  and  commotions  of  that 
period  the  Sentinel  stood  for  harmony  and  mutual 
helpfulness  between  the  races.  At  times  it  was  con- 
demned for  its  conservative  policy,  but  extraneous 
articles  were  kept  out  of  its  columns.  Thus  it  made 
friends  for  the  race  and  for  the  denomination.  It 
proved  to  be  one  of  the  main  levers  in  the  uplift  of 
the  Negro  Baptists,  which  dates  from  the  establish- 
ment of  this  Baptist  Sentinel. 

The  President  of  Shaw  University  kindly  granted 
to  the  Convention  a  site  on  the  campus  of  the  Uni- 
versity for  the  erection  of  a  building  for  ninety-nine 
years  for  the  exclusive  use  of  the  Baptist  Sentinel. 
The  grant  was  gladly  accepted ;  subscriptions  to  the 
amount  of  four  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  were  taken 


196  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

for  this  object  and  the  building  erected  as  the  home 
of  the  organ  of  the  Convention. 

While  the  Convention  still  held  claim  to  the  Senti- 
nel, that  it  might  be  relieved  of  a  part  of  the  respon- 
sibility, granted  the  organization  to  a  number  of  the 
brethren  into  a  Sentinel  Stock  Company,  the  Con- 
vention itself  taking  a  number  of  stocks.  May  8 
1901,  this  company  was  organized  and  incorporated 
April  27,  1905,  taking  the  name  Baptist  Sentinel 
Publishing  Company.  While  the  Sentinel  still  con- 
tinued as  the  organ  of  the  Convention,  it  was  under 
the  direct  supervision  of  the  stockholders.  The  Senti- 
nel Company  did  a  great  deal  of  job  work,  and  foi 
this  purpose  bought  type  and  other  fixtures  to  the 
amount  of  several  hundred  dollars.  With  this  in- 
crease of  strength,  with  its  conservatism  and  clean 
publications,  the  Baptist  Sentinel  took  its  place  among 
the  leading  weeklies  of  the  Negro  Baptists  in  the 
country.  It  improved  its  material,  making  an  eight 
page  sheet.  It  became  a  tower  of  strength,  and  found 
a  welcome  in  thousands  of  homes  throughout  the 
State  and  in  other  States.  The  Biblical  Recorder, 
the  organ  of  the  white  Baptists  of  North  Carolina, 
said  of  the  Sentinel:  "This  excellent  paper  is  con- 
ducted by  Brother  Williams  with  industry,  ability 
and  devotion.  It  is  one  of  the  best  representatives  of 
the  colored  race.  In  fact,  such  a  paper  goes  far  to 
create  hope  for  the  race." 

While  the  Sentinel  was  the  organ  of  the  colored 


Rev.  C.  H.    WILLIAMSON".    A.M.. 
Business  Manager  Baptist  Sentinel. 


Baptist  Papers.  197. 

Baptists  of  North  Carolina  it  was  extensively  read  in 
other  States,  and  gained  considerable  influence 
throughout  the  country. 

The  paper  sustained  its  greatest  loss  in  the  death 
of  Mr.  Williams,  Business  Manager,  which  occurred 
at  his  home  in  Warrenton  June,  1906.  There  have 
been  men  of  whom  it  may  be  said  they  laid  their  life 
on  the  altar  for  the  success  of  some  project.  This  may 
be  truly  said  of  Mr.  Williams  in  his  relation  to  the 
Sentinel. 

Eighteen  months  intervened  from  the  death  of  Mr. 
Williams  to  the  appointment  of  a  permanent  business 
manager.  Dr.  A.  W.  Pegues,  C.  L.  W.  Smith  and 
G.  W.  Yores  served  in  this  capacity  during  their  in- 
tervention. The  Jamestown  Exposition  had  just 
closed.  Rev.  C.  H.  Williamson,  of  Raleigh,  had 
served  in  the  capacity  of  Commissioner-General  for 
North  Carolina.  His  work  had  been  so  well  accom- 
plished his  praises  were  sounded  by  men  of  distinc- 
tion of  both  races.  He  had  handled  to  splendid  ad- 
vantage ten  thousand  dollars  and  had  made  such  a 
presentation  at  the  Exposition  the  Board  saw  in  him 
a  suitable  successor  for  Mr.  Williams,  and  he  was 
elected  to  that  position  1907. 

In  the  fall  of  1907  J.  A.  Whitted,  who  had  served 
as  editor  since  the  establishment  of  the  paper,  re- 
signed, and  Dr.  C.  S.  Brown,  an  able  and  gifted 
writer,  ripe  with  experience  in  this  line,  was  elected 
to  succeed  him  as  editor  with  Dr.  Smith.     Dr.  S.  1ST. 


198  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

Vass  and  Dr.  S.  H.  Witherspoon  were  elected  field 
editors.  The  Sentinel  took  on  new  life  and  influ- 
ence, as  might  have  been  expected  with  such  an  able 
staff.  What  the  Biblical  Recorder  was  to  the  white 
Baptists  of  North  Carolina  the  Baptist  Sentinel  was 
to  the  colored  Baptists,  awakening  an  interest,  giving 
life  and  inspiration  to  everything  which  meant  the 
uplift  of  the  Negro  Baptists  in  North  Carolina  in 
particular  and  humanity  in  general. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

BIOGRAPHY. 

While  this  work  is  by  no  means  intended  for  biog- 
raphy it  seems  befitting  that  the  readers  may  get 
some  idea  of  the  struggles  of  the  pioneers  of  our 
cause  that  a  short  sketch  should  be  given  of  a  few  of 
them.  We  begin  with  Rev.  Harry  Cowan,  who  might 
fitly  be  called  the  father  of  the  Baptist  preachers  of 
North  Carolina.  He  was  born  two  miles  west  of 
Mocksville,  N".  C,  January  20,  1810.  He  united  with 
the  church  at  the  age  of  sixteen  and  was  granted  such 
licenses  as  was  granted  to  Negro  preachers  of  that 
period,  at  the  age  of  eighteen.  His  master,  Thomas 
L.  Cowan,  of  Salisbury,  an  elder  in  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  heard  him  speak  for  the  first  time  at  a  fu- 
neral, and  was  so  struck  with  his  gift  granted  him  his 
"four  plantations"  as  his  "field"  for  the  ministry. 
His  license  was  drawn  up  by  a  lawyer  and  read  thus : 
"This  is  to  certify  that  whosoever  is  interested  about 
my  man  Harry  he  has  the  privilege  to  preach  and  to 
marry;  also  to  baptize  any  one  who  makes  a  profes- 
sion of  faith."  His  master  made  himself  responsible 
for  his  protection,  and  allowed  him  to  go  anywhere 
the  proper  protection  was  guaranteed  to  him.  God 
wonderfully  blessed  his  labors  and  often  thousands 
gathered  in  single  congregations  to  hear  him.  When 
the  war  broke  out  he  was  made  the  body  servant  of 
General  Joseph  Johnston.     He  continued  to  preach 


200  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

the  gospel  throughout  the  war,  preaching  every  night 
of  that  memorable  struggle  except  the  night  when 
Stonewall  Jackson  fell.  Seventy  years  of  the  life 
of  Rev.  Harry  Cowan  were  given  to  the  preaching  of 
the  gospel.  In  that  time  he  organized  forty-nine 
churches.  This  work  was  done  following  the  emanci- 
pation. Eight  thousand  five  hundred  souls  were  bap- 
tized. Full  of  years  and  glorious  service  he  came  to 
the  home  of  Mrs.  H.  H.  Hall,  his  adopted  daughter, 
of  Winston-Salem,  1ST.  C,  where  he  spent  his  last  days 
peacefully  and  joyfully.  God  sent  His  messenger 
and  took  this  faithful  servant  unto  Himself  March 
11,  1904. 

Rev.  Thomas  Parker,  of  Warsaw,  1ST.  C. 

Rev.  Thomas  Parker,  another  pioneer  of  the  Ne- 
gro Baptists  of  North  Carolina,  was  born  October  14, 
L830,  Gates  County,  near  Gatesville,  1ST.  C.  From 
there  he  was  carried  to  Fernandina,  Fla.  He  was 
afterward  brought  back  to  Wilmington,  1ST.  C.  He 
was  converted  at  the  age  of  thirty  and  was  baptized 
and  united  with  the  Wilmington  church  1863.  He 
soon  made  known  his  call  to  the  gospel  ministry. 
The  First  Baptist  Church,  colored,  was  soon  after- 
ward organized  and  Rev.  Parker  became  one  of  its 
most  active  members.  He  was  ordained  to  the  gos- 
pel ministry  at  the  third  annual  meeting  of  the  Bap- 
tist State  Convention,  which  was  held  in  his  church 
in  the  city  of  Wilmington.  Rev.  Parker  has  organ- 
ized during  his  ministry  the  following  churches :  Six 


Biography.  201 

Run,  Kenansville,  Hill  Chapel,  Little  Piney  Grove, 
Pilgrim  Rest  and  Shady  Grove.  Four  thousand  seven 
hundred  persons  have  been  converted  and  baptized 
under  his  ministry.  Rev.  J.  O.  Hayes,  the  venerable 
African  missionary,  was  one  of  this  number ;  con- 
verted, ordained  and  sent  out  by  the  Six  Run 
Church.  Rev.  Parker  was  in  the  organization  of  the 
Kenansville  Eastern  Association,  and  served  as  its 
Moderator  for  twenty-six  years.  He  was  connected 
with  the  State  Convention  in  its  early  struggle,  and 
was  one  of  the  old  men  who  followed  it  until  his 
death.  Few  men  if  any  have  been  called  upon  to 
suffer  more  for  the  preaching  of  the  gospel  than  Rev. 
Parker,  and  yet  despite  all  God  permitted  him  as 
few  men  to  realize  the  results  of  his  arduous  labors. 
It  may  be  said  of  Rev.  Parker  as  of  most  men  of  his 
day  he  was  uncompromising  in  what  he  believed  con- 
cerning the  teachings  of  the  Bible.  He  had  just 
sense  enough  not  to  allow  any  of  the  Word  to  be  ex- 
plained away  from  him. 

Rev.  Arnold  B.  Williams. 

Rev.  Arnold  B.  Williams  was  born  in  Johnston 
County  1804.  By  extra  service  while  a  slave  he 
earned  sufficient  money  and  purchased  his  own  free- 
dom. He  was  sent  away  from  the  South  by  the 
Quakers  and  remained  in  the  North  in  and  about 
Boston  for  sixteen  years.  He  was  connected  with 
the  Twelfth  Baptist  Church  of  Boston.  It  was  dur- 
ing that  time  he  accumulated  six  hundred  dollars  and 


202  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

undertook  the  purchase  of  his  wife.  When  the  proc- 
lamation was  issued  her  freedom  came  to  her  without 
the  purchase.  Rev.  Williams  returned  to  the  South 
immediately  after  the  war;  was  ordained  to  the  gos- 
pel ministry  and  took  pastoral  charge  of  the  First 
African  Baptist  Church  of  Goldsboro,  successor  of 
Rev.  Charles  J.  Nelson.  Soon  after  this  in  the  First 
African  Baptist  Church  under  the  pastorate  of  Rev. 
Williams  the  Educational  and  Missionary  Baptist 
State  Convention  was  organized..  At  this  first  meet- 
ing in  1867  Rev.  Williams  was  elected  Treasurer  of 
the  Convention,  which  position  he  held  until  his 
death,  which  occurred  in  Goldsboro  1896.  It  ma? 
be  truly  said  of  the  man  of  God  he  did  what  he  could 
for  the  cause  of  the  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Caro- 
lina. He  left  as  his  logical  successor  "My  Son  in  the 
Gospel,"  Rev.  J.  W.  Dew,  who  held  the  place  made 
vacant  by  death  for  many  years  after. 

Rev.  Anthony  W.  Welbokne. 

Rev.  Welborne  was  born  in  Randolph  County  Feb- 
ruary 3,  1840.  He  united  with  the  Liberty  Grove 
Church  in  1870,  was  ordained  in  the  white  Baptist 
Church  of  High  Point,  and  took  charge  of  Liberty 
Grove.  He  held  successful  charge  of  eighteen 
churches  of  the  Piedmont  section ;  assisted  in  the  or- 
dination of  twenty-one  persons  to  the  gospel  ministry 
out  of  these  churches.  Twelve  hundred  persons  have 
been  converted  and  baptized  through  his  ministry. 
He  was  one  of  the  pioneers  of  the  Rowan  Association ; 


Biography.  203 

the  Moderator  of  the  High  Point  Association  for 
many  years.  Although  himself  comparatively  illiter- 
ate he  stood  for  education  and  for  everything  which 
meant  the  advancement  of  humanity.  What  Rev. 
Parker  was  to  Eastern  North  Carolina  Rev.  Wei- 
borne  was  to  the  Piedmont  section  and  to  the  Bap- 
tists of  North  Carolina. 

Rev.  R.  H.  Hakpek,  LaGrange,  1ST.  C. 

Among  the  very  few  who  composed  the  first  Bap- 
tist State  Convention  was  Rev.  R.  H.  Harper,  of 
LaGrange,  1ST.  C.  Rev.  Harper  was  converted  at  the 
age  of  eighteen.  He  served  twelve  months  in  the 
Civil  War  and  at  its  close,  realizing  his  call  to  the 
gospel  ministry,  entered  immediately  upon  the  call. 
The  first  year  of  this  service  was  rewarded  with  the 
conversion  of  one  hundred  and  sixty-five  persons.  In 
the  sixty-five  years  of  his  ministry  he  baptized  four 
thousand  two  hundred  and  twenty-five.  When  the 
work  of  these  pioneers  is  considered  it  is  not  surpris- 
ing that  North  Carolina  was  so  largely  Baptist.  Not 
only  did  Rev.  Harper  take  part  in  the  organization  of 
the  Baptist  State  Convention  but  three  associations 
and  thirty-seven  churches.  He  was  pastor  of  the  Mt. 
Pleasant  Church,  Wayne  County,  thirty-eight  years ; 
of  another  church  twenty-seven  and  still  another 
twenty-five.  Truly  it  may  be  said  of  this  servant  that 
he  carried  out  the  injunctions  of  the  Saviour  to  the 
letter  when  He  said  "Go  ye,  therefore,  and  teach  all 


204  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

nations,  baptizing  them  in  the  name  of  the  Father, 
Son  and  Holy  Ghost." 

Rev.   Nicholas   Franklin   Roberts,   D.D. 

Dr.  Roberts  was  born  at  Seaboard,  1ST.  C,  October 
13,  1849.  He  entered  Shaw  University  1871  and 
graduated  from  the  Collegiate  Department  1876.  In 
the  fall  of  the  same  year  he  was  elected  to  the  Chair 
of  Mathematics  in  Shaw  University,  his  Alma  Mater, 
which  position  he  filled  successfully  for  thirty-two 
years.  Upward  of  five  thousand  young  men  and  wo- 
men came  under  his  instruction.  Dr.  Roberts  was 
interested  in  everything  which  pertained  to  the  uplift 
of  his  denomination  and  the  general  advancement  of 
the  Master's  cause.  He  has  served  as  the  Editor  of 
the  African  Expositor,  President  of  the  Educational 
and  Missionary  Convention  of  North  Carolina,  Pres- 
ident of  the  State  Sunday  School  Convention  of  North 
Carolina  for  many  years,  and  on  almost  every  Board 
representing  the  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina 
for  forty  years,  which  made  him  a  conspicuous,  in- 
dispensable factor  in  everything  which  meant  the  up- 
lift of  the  denomination. 

Rev.  George  W.  Holland. 

As  the  best  illustration  of  the  men  of  the  two  gen- 
erations with  which  this  work  has  to  do  is  to  be  found 
in  the  Rev.  G.  W.  Holland  and  Rev.  G.  W.  Johnson, 
both  of  Winston-Salem,  N.  C. ;  the  one  representing 


Biography.  205 

the  generation  immediately  following  the  emancipa- 
tion, the  day  of  brush  arbors  and  log  churches,  the 
day  of  excessive  "heat  and  burden,"  of  ignorance  and 
doubt ;  the  other  representing  the  age  of  frame  and 
brick  structures,  the  day  of  comparative  light  and 
intelligence,  the  day  of  wonderful  growth  and  de- 
velopment. 

Rev.  George  W.  Holland  was  born  in  Virginia, 
1833.  Was  ordained  to  the  Gospel  ministry  by  the 
High  Street  Baptist  Church,  and  served  as  local 
preacher  for  several  years,  rather  in  the  capacity  of 
a  missionary  to  the  churches  in  and  about  Danville. 
In  this  capacity  he  organized  and  set  apart  fifteen 
churches.  He  came  to  Winston,  1878,  and  took 
charge  of  the  First  Baptist  Church,  which  position 
he  held  until  his  death.  Although  a  pastor  it  was 
the  calling  of  Rev.  Holland,  it  seemed,  to  organize 
and  set  apart  churches.  It  was  said  of  him  many 
times  even  at  midnight  he  would  rest  himself  by  the 
wayside  after  long  journeys  through  the  Blue  Ridge 
Mountains,  and  would  sit  down  to  pick  the  blisters 
on  his  worn  and  weary  feet.  While  Rev.  Holland 
was  uncompromising  in  questions  of  faith  he  had 
many  friends  in  all  the  denominations  through  that 
kindness  and  generosity  so  characteristic  of  him. 
Three  thousand  persons  were  baptized  in  his  minis- 
try. Fifteen  Baptist  churches  in  Virginia  and 
twenty-three  in  Xorth  Carolina  organized.  Sixty 
young  men  and  women  were  sent  to  Shaw  University 


206  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

through  his  influence.  From  his  entrance  into  North 
Carolina  until  his  death  he  was  a  faithful  and  true 
friend  of  the  Educational  and  Missionary  Conven- 
tion. Full  of  years  of  service  and  individual 
achievements,  surrounded  with  a  host  of  friends  of 
both  races,  twenty-nine  years  the  pastor  of  the  ablest 
church  of  the  denomination  in  the  State,  he  passed 
into  a  well-earned  rest,  1906.  The  largest  funeral 
procession  which  has  honored  any  colored  man  in 
the  State  of  both  races  followed  the  remains  of  this 
hero  to  his  last  resting  place,  where  he  quietly  sleeps 
to  await  the  resurrection  of  the  dead  in  Christ. 

Rev.  George  W.  Johnson,  D.D. 

Rev.  G.  W.  Johnson  was  born  in  Person  County, 
1ST.  C,  May,  1856.  Rev.  Johnson  united  with  the 
High  Street  Baptist  Church.  Danville,  Va.,  1871, 
and  was  baptized  by  Rev.  Harrison  Scott.  Real- 
izing his  call  to  the  Gospel  ministry,  an  ordination 
counsel  was  called,  consisting  of  Revs.  J.  J.  Worlds, 
J.  L.  Coleman,  A.  L.  Avery  and  Dr.  H.  H.  Mitchell, 
pastor.  He  took  a  three  years'  course  in  the  Theo- 
logical Department  of  Wayland  Seminary,  Washing- 
ton, D.  C,  under  the  venerable  Dr.  G.  M.  P.  King. 
He  has  served  as  pastor  for  the  following  churches : 
Lexington,  Chestnut,  Oak  Grove,  Kernersville  and 
Mt.  Zion,  Winston,  which  place  he  has  held  twenty 
years.  He  has  assisted  in  the  organization  of  New 
Bethel,  Happy  Hill,  Kernersville,  Mt.  Zion,  Shiloh, 


Biography.  207 

Yadkin  Star,  and  First  Church,  Trenton,  1ST.  J. 
Twenty-five  hundred  persons  have  been  baptized 
through  his  ministry.  In  the  annual  session  of  the 
Rowan  Baptist  Association,  at  High  Point,  he  was 
elected  Moderator  to  succeed  Dr.  J.  O.  Crosby,  and 
set  a  precedent  in  reaching  directly  and  indirectly 
every  church  throughout  the  bounds  of  the  Associa- 
tion, awakening  an  interest  in  the  churches  to  the 
objects  of  the  Association.  In  1908  the  Guadaloupe 
College,  Texas,  granted  him  the  honorary  degree  of 
D.D.  As  a  financier,  Dr.  Johnson  has  no  superioi 
and  few  equals.  He  has  the  confidence,  in  this  re- 
spect, of  all  Winston-Salem,  and  in  every  respect  is 
fully  qualified  to  take  up  the  work  where  "Father 
Holland,"  as  he  always  called  him,  laid  it  down. 

Rev.  Augustus  Shepard,  D.D. 

Dr.  Shepard  was  born  in  the  city  of  Raleigh, 
K  C,  March  1,  1846.  When  it  is  considered  that 
he  was  the  son  of  Richard  Shepard,  and  had  a  pious 
mother,  it  is  not  surprising  that  he  should  have  been 
the  stalwart  Baptist  preacher  he  was.  While  a  stu- 
dent at  Shaw  University  the  President  of  the  Uni- 
versity saw  in  him  such  fitness  that  he  made  him  his 
assistant  pastor  of  Blount  Street  Baptist  Church. 
For  eighteen  years  he  was  Colporter  Missionary  for 
the  American  Baptist  Publication  Society  for  North 
Carolina. 

It  was  in  this  capacity  that  Dr.  Shepard  did 
his   best   work ;    and    the   work    which    gave   him    a 


208  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

place  in  the  hearts  of  the  Baptists  of  North  Caro- 
lina, which  he  always  held.  In  this  capacity  he 
stood  at  the  foundation  of  the  State  Sunday  School 
Convention  of  North  Carolina.  It  was  largely 
through  his  efforts  that  the  Orphan  Asylum  at  Ox- 
ford gained  its  strength  and  many  churches  and 
Sunday  Schools  throughout  the  State  owe  their  ex- 
istence largely  to  him.  Nearly  all  the  county  Sun- 
day School  Conventions  were  organized  directly  or 
indirectly  through  him.  Dr.  Shepard  was  one  of 
the  very  few  men  who  stemmed  the  tide  of  the  more 
intelligent  ministry  which  swept  most  of  the  pioneers 
from  the  stage.  He  was  regarded  among  the  ablest 
ministers  of  the  State  throughout  his  career.  This 
was  not  only  due  to  his  able  ministry,  but  to  the  fact 
he  never  turned  away  a  struggling  young  man.  He 
was  ever  ready  to  give  him  encouragement  and  sup- 
port. Besides  the  work  on  the  field,  Dr.  Shepard 
pastored  the  Blount  Street  Church,  Raleigh ;  the 
First  Baptist  Church  of  Charlotte ;  the  White  Rock 
Church,  Durham ;  the  First  Baptist  Church,  Rox- 
boro;  Wake  Forest  Baptist  Church,  Warrenton,  For- 
estville,  the  First  Church  of  Henderson,  and  the 
First  Church  of  Oxford,  besides  erecting  and  pas- 
toring  the  spacious  church,  Roanoke  Salem,  Garys- 
burg,  N.  C.  No  man  in  his  day  has  contributed 
more  to  the  cause  of  the  Baptists  of  North  Carolina 
than  Dr.  Shepard. 

There  are  many  other  men  who  might  be   men- 
tioned as  able  pioneers  to  the  cause  of  the  Negro 


Biography.  200 

Baptists  of  jSTorth  Carolina,  Dr.  Cassar  Johnson,  of 
Raleigh,  without  whose  name  the  history  of  the  Bap- 
tists can  not  be  properly  written;  Lemuel  W.  Boone, 
the  hero  in  the  ministry  and  a  politician  as  well, 
whose  remains  have  rested  under  the  shade  in  a 
lonely  grave  in  Hertford  County,  awaiting  the  final 
reward  of  the  just. 

And,  too,  there  are  Eagles  and  Horton,  Warwick 
and  Banks,  Burwell  and  Patillo,  the  story  of  whose 
lives  would  make  a  history  in  itself.  They  sleep  in 
their  graves,  but  "their  works  do  follow  them." 
When  a  more  extensive  work  shall  be  written  much 
worthy  of  mention  in  their  wonderful  lives  will  be 
brought  to  light.  Upon  their  shoulders  at  the  most 
critical  period  rested  the  destiny  of  the  cause  so  dear 
to  our  hearts,  and  it  may  be  truly  said  of  them,  they 
bore  their  burdens,  and,  like  Paul,  rejoiced  that  they 
were  "counted  worthy  to  bear  them."  They  en- 
dured their  afflictions  as  men  without  murmur  or 
complaint  and,  despite  their  disadvantages  of  igno- 
rance and  poverty,  they  have  left  names  worthy  of 
our  cherished  recollections.  The  most  fitting  monu- 
ment we  could  rear  to  them  has  been  to  take  up  the 
work  there  they  have  left  off  and  hand  down  to  our 
posterity  achievements  commensurate  with  our  ad- 
vantages and  opportunities.  A  fair  estimate  of  the 
achievements  of  the  generation  following  in  the  wake 
of  the  fathers  we  have  mentioned,  and  others  equallv 
worthy  of  mention,  would  prove  them  worthy  of  the 
14 


210  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

trust  committed  to  their  hands.  With  no  greater 
faith,  devotion  and  loyalty,  but  with  broader  shoul- 
ders and  stronger,  because  of  superior  advantages  and 
environments,  both  generations  have  wrought  well  in 
their  day.  The  foundation  was  laid  in  the  fathers, 
their  sons  have  gone  far  with  the  superstructure. 
We  have  used  a  few  illustrations  of  those  who  bore 
the  "burden  of  the  heat  of  the  day"  and  a  few  of 
that  number  who  have  so  successfully  carried  the 
work  on  where  they  left  it.  In  the  Shaw  Univer- 
sity chapter  it  was  shown  at  one  time,  when  all  the 
Normal  Schools  of  the  State  with  a  single  exception 
were  in  charge  of  Shaw  men,  and  of  Baptists,  as  an 
evidence  of  what  the  denomination  has  been  in  the 
educational  advancement  of  the  race  in  North  Caro- 
lina. In  the  establishment  of  the  Oxford  Orphan 
Asylum,  in  the  contributions  given  by  the  Baptists 
since  its  establishment,  with  a  Baptist  at  the  head ; 
and  the  same  of  the  Winston-Salem  Orphan  Home, 
the  only  two  Negro  institutions  of  their  kind  in  the 
State,  is  evidence  of  what  the  Negro  Baptists  were  in 
the  charitable  development. 

Besides  its  contributions  to  the  States  of  the  entire 
Union  in  professional  men,  in  North  Carolina  were: 
Charlotte,  Drs.  A.  A.  Wyche,  W.  H.  Graves;  in 
Winston,  Drs.  J.  W.  Jones,  E.  R.  Carter;  W.  A. 
Jones,  pharmacist,  owning  and  controlling  the  lead- 
ing Negro  drug  store  in  the  country;  J.  S.  Fitts,  a 
leading  lawyer ;  Greensboro,  Dr.  J.  Elmer  Dellin- 
ger,  lawyer  G.   H.   Mitchell;  Durham,  Drs.   A.  M. 


Biography.  211 

Moore,  C.  H.  Shepard;  Raleigh,  Drs.  M.  T.  Pope. 
L.  B.  Capehart,  Peter  Roberts,  lawyer  George  Lane; 
Fayetteville,  H.  H.  Perry,  pharmacist;  Wilmington. 
Drs.  M.  D.  Bowen,  J.  H.  Alston ;  Wilson,  Dr.  F.  S. 
Hargrave;  Tarboro,  Dr.  N.  S.  McMillan;  Bertie 
County,  Dr.  Sharpe ;  Edenton,  Dr.  Hines,  Hon.  H. 
P.  Cheatham  served  several  terms  in  the  United 
States  Congress ;  Dr.  E.  E.  Smith,  of  Fayetteville. 
was  Minister  to  Liberia  during  the  administration  of 
President  Grover  Cleveland.  Members  of  General 
Assembly  of  North  Carolina,  Register  of  Deeds  and 
many  other  places  of  honor  and  trust  have  been  held 
by  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina.  Prom  the 
humble  beginning  of  the  few  preachers  gathered  in 
the  first  Convention  in  the  First  African  Baptist 
Church,  of  Goldsboro,  N.  C,  1867,  representing  just 
a  handful  of  churches,  have  come  in  1908  nine  hun- 
dred preachers,  many  of  them  able  and  scholarly ;  a 
thousand  churches,  with  a  membership  of  one  hun- 
dred and  eighty  thousand  is  a  record  worthy  of  proud 
mention.  Besides  the  money  given  to  Shaw  Univer- 
sity fifty  thousand  dollars  are  raised  and  paid  an- 
nually to  the  secondary  Baptist  schools  of  North 
Carolina  by  the  Negro  Baptists  of  the  State.  The 
spirit  to  educate,  as  manifested  by  the  fathers  in 
their  first  Convention,  is  evidently  alive,  and  con- 
stantly growing  in  their  sons.  While  perfection  is 
yet  far  removed,  and  much  unification  and  loyalty 
to  be  brought  to  bear  on  the  Negro  Baptist  hosts  of 
North  Carolina,   they  have  made  many  and  rapid 


212  Negro  Baptists  of  North  Carolina. 

strides,  as  is  universally  acknowledged.  The  dis- 
couragements which  many  of  our  remote  sections 
have  suffered,  "the  Baptists  have  no  men,"  are  fast 
being  overcome;  from  the  mountains  to  the  seashore 
the  Negro  Baptists  are  sending  men  of  whom  they 
feel  justly  proud.  With  every  known  section  of  the 
State  dotted  with  secondary  Baptist  schools,  and 
with  Shaw  University  in  the  midst  of  them,  the 
pride,  not  only  of  the  Baptists,  but  the  entire  race  of 
the  country,  the  day  can  not  be  far  distant  when 
every  country  church,  as  well  as  the  brick  structures 
of  our  cities,  will  be  filled  with  men  of  intellectuality 
as  well  as  the  Divine  Spirit.  The  writer  closes  with 
the  hope  that  some  information  respecting  the  strug- 
gles of  the  past,  some  word  of  what  has  been  wrought 
under  so  many  disadvantages,  may  cheer  those  upon 
whose  shoulders  the  burdens  may  fall.  The  founda- 
tion has  been  laid,  the  superstructure  well  under 
way.  Continuing  under  that  Architect  Supreme,  in 
whom  our  fathers  have  faithfully  trusted,  failure 
is  impossible.  Holding  fast  the  "faith,"  turning 
neither  to  the  right  hand  nor  to  the  left,  suffering  re- 
proach if  need  be  for  the  eternal  principles  upon 
which  we  build,  we  have  all  to  hope  for  in  Him. 
whose  fame  rested  on  Calvary's  cross,  and  whose  final 
triumph  will  be  the  gathering  of  the  redeemed  unto 
Himself. 

THE    END. 


THE    UNIVERSITY    OF    NORTH. CAROLI 


NORTH  CAROLINA  COLLEGE  FOR  NEGROES 
Durham,  North  Carolina 

Office  of  the  President 

September  20,  1944 


Mr.  Willie  Gri°F 
111  Keenan  Hall 
University  of  North  Carolina 
Chapel  Hill,  North  Carolina 

Dear  Mr.  Grier: 

Your  letter  of  August  31  has  just  come  to  me.  Reverend 
J.A.Whltted,  D.D.  was  a  very  prominent  Baptist  minister  of 
the  Nerro  race.  He  ocouoied  several  high  positions  among  the 
Br.ntlstF  of  the  state  and  for  several  years  was  the  Executive 
Secretary,  having  to  travel  all  over  the  state  to  raise  money 
for  the  purposes  and  for  Shaw  University.  He  left 

North  Carolina  to  become  pastor  of  Penn.  Memorial  Baptist 
Church  in  Philedlephia  where  he  died. 

I  have  made  ouite  a  search  and  cannot  find  any  printed 
thing  on  hie  life  at  the  present  time.  He  was  born  at  Hille- 
boro,  N.C. 

I  will  continue  the  search  and  £<=•?  if  I  can  find  some- 
thing more  definite. 

With  even'  good  wish,  I  am 

Sincerely  vvoure, 

J.  E.  Sheperd 
(Signed) 

Copy  of  letter 

in  possession  of  Miss  Grier 


